Rochdale boss Keith Hill admitted his side’s late comeback victory at Exeter City relives some of the pressure on them as they look to avoid a second consecutive relegation.
The visitors looked to be heading for defeat following Jamie Cureton’s 45th minute strike but late goals from Ian Henderson and Bobby Grant secured a dramatic turnaround.
Hill was adamant his side were fully deserving of the win, which now takes them six points clear of the League Two drop-zone with a game in hand over most of their rivals.
“It’s a great result, it’s a result we needed because we don’t want to create any pressure on us and that takes a bit of pressure off with three home games to play,” Hill said.
“The performance wasn’t the late, late show – the goals were, but we deserved it. We played well and deserved to win the game.
“It is a big step in the direction towards us and most of the teams below us have four games to play, so hopefully, we can start planning for next year and get ourselves safe as soon as possible.”
Hill was also full of praise for his goalscorers’ late show and believes striker George Donnelly could emulate former Dale star and current Norwich City talisman Grant Holt.
“When you are losing, you keep your goalscorers on the pitch. You can’t score if they are on the bench,” Hill said. “Bobby was anonymous at times, but he has a lot to learn.
“With respect to Donnelly, I thought his all-round performance was superb. I said to him afterwards: ‘Isn’t it about time you found a footballing home and settled down and started to learn?’
“I think he could maybe become the next Grant Holt. They are very similar if I am being honest with you. He is my type of player.”
Image courtesy of TexacoUKFC, via YouTube,w ith thanks
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