Keith Hill believes life is like an arcade machine after Rochdale failed to hit League Two jackpot against Torquay United.
The manager likened the missed opportunity for his side to a ‘nudge’ on a fruit machine (otherwise known as one-armed bandit), after they were stunned by the Football League’s bottom club Torquay in a 2-1 away defeat last night.
The lowly Gulls had not won in six matches prior to the arrival of Hill’s men.
But goals from Krystian Pearce and Joss Labadie, who was banned for 10 games today for biting in a match last month, either side of Jamie Allen’s equaliser were enough to sink Dale.
Skipper Oliver Lancashire was also sent off – the eighth time a Dale player has been dismissed this season – and Hill was frustrated at his side’s failure to take at least a point.
“If I’m playing an arcade game and it flashes ‘nudge’, I thought we had an opportunity to nudge one up today,” Hill told the Dale Player.
“Points wise I would have expected us to at least get a point. Call me mad, call me lacking ambition but a point would’ve been massive for us.
“We played Friday and were full of energy and we had a great opportunity but one or two mistakes cost us, let’s be right both goals were avoidable.”
Despite the defeat Dale remain third in League Two just two points off top spot after promotion rivals Chesterfield, Scunthorpe United and Burton Albion all failed to win.
This was of little comfort to Hill though.
“I wanted to be two points in front of the pack with a game in hand, unfortunately we’ve got a game in hand.”
The match at Plainmoor was by a paltry crowd of just 1,627 with 99 hardy souls from Rochdale making the journey to Devon to cheer on their team and Hill paid tribute to them afterwards.
“It’s a long, long journey and many of them will have work the next day so I tilt my hat to the supporters,” he said.
Image courtesy of TexacoUFC via YouTube, with thanks.
