Peter Vincenti says he and his Rochdale team-mates are fully aware of the importance of securing local bragging rights in tonight’s televised derby clash with Bury.
Victory in front of the Sky Sports cameras at Gigg Lane will send manager Keith Hill’s Dale top of League Two, at least until Saturday’s fixtures take place.
Although preparations for the game have been the same as usual, Vincenti knows that the match is more than just another game for the fans.
“Nowadays with social media and Twitter you get people saying stuff to you about it being a derby and for the fans it’s used as bragging rights for them,” Vincenti told MM.
“So we’ve got to understand that and we know that it’s an important fixture for the fans but we’ve just got to be professional and approach it like any other game.”
“We’ve done things right previous to this game for the season, so we’ll just carry on what we are doing and go into the game trying to get three points.”
The clash earlier in the season at Spotland, which Hill’s side won 1-0, was not exactly Vincenti’s finest hour in a Rochdale shirt as he was sent off after first half two bookings.
Vincenti felt his dismissal that day was a tad harsh but insists he has put the red card behind him.
“Last time we played Bury I got myself sent off but I’m not going to let it play on my mind,” he said.
“It’s just another game and I’ll just go into the game like I’ve been doing every other game and just try and do my best and help the team get three points.”
The 27-year-old has netted four times for Dale this season, a tally which has included crucial late goals against Rotherham United and Chesterfield, and he admitted scoring in the derby would be something special.
“It’d rank highly, for bragging rights and for it being a derby it would be nice to score a goal so hopefully if I’m playing I’ll try my best to get one,” he added.
Bury of course are now managed by David Flitcroft, a good friend of Keith Hill who worked as his assistant at Barnsley and Rochdale.
Hill is looking forward to pitting his wits against his former right-hand man, who he admits knows him inside out.
“We may be quite telepathic in the way that we think,” Hill told MM. “We have similar sort of styles and we’ve spent a lot of time together.
“We share a lot of information on football and the way we want it to be played.
“It will be exciting but it’s a game that is business and it shouldn’t be too emotional you’ve got to almost take the emotion out of the occasion. But I’m looking forward to it.”
Image and video courtesy of Official Rochdale AFC via YouTube, with thanks.
