Despite watching his side crash out of the FA Cup with a 1-0 defeat to Sheffield United on Saturday, David Dunn says he was pleased with the improvement shown by his charges.
Matt Done’s 47th-minute strike put the Blades in the hat for the next round, despite Oldham banging on the door with Danny Philliskirk and Jake Cassidy both going close at Bramall Lane.
The loss is Oldham’s fourth on the spin in all competitions, but Dunn took solace from his players’ commitment against a side who are tipped by many to compete for promotion to the Championship.
“That was more like it, certainly in terms of desire and commitment,” said Dunn.
“I am really pleased for them and proud of how much they gave to the club today. I have just said to them, if they perform like that most weeks they will quickly climb that league table.
“It is disappointing to get beaten again, but there are more positives to take from the game than negatives.”
The 35-year-old made four changes for the tie, returning to a single-striker formation, and saw the desired effect with what he believes was a higher work rate across the team.
With tough League One fixtures against high-flying Millwall and Coventry up next, Dunn says this kind of performance is timely but still leaves room for improvement after soft defending led to the decisive goal.
“Up until the goal, I can’t really have too many arguments with any of them,” he said.
“I thought we looked pretty solid all over the pitch. The goal was a little bit sloppy to give away, but I can’t have too many complaints – certainly after last week.
“I was really proud of how they performed and with the battling qualities you need to come to a place like this against a really good side.
“We were very unlucky to not get something out of the game. I thought we had the better chances.”
Image courtesy of OAFC via YouTube, with thanks.
