Rochdale back in the old routine

ROCHDALE will return to their more familiar role of underdog when they take on Sheffield Wednesday at Hillsborough tomorrow.

Having been on the receiving end of the biggest FA Cup shock in last weekend’s first round – a 3-2 home defeat to FC United – the tables will be turned when Keith Hill’s team take on the Owls.

Five defeats in their last six games mean the visitors go into the match low on confidence, although Hill insists his side are at their best against npower League One’s big guns.

“We will be the underdogs, but we’ve shown by beating Southampton and Huddersfield this season that we can take on the strongest teams in this division,” said Hill.

“I watched Wednesday beat Hartlepool 4-1 in the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy on Wednesday night, and they are an excellent side.

“It’s a sign of how far they’ve dropped and how far we’ve come that we’re playing each other.”

Dale must improve defensively if they are to come away with a positive result from their first-ever league fixture against Wednesday.

They have shipped 11 goals during the last six games and with the Owls bagging nine in their last two outings, Hill is conscious of the need to improve.

“We have conceded far too many goals recently, and that’s something we need to put right,” he said.

“We have also had some important decisions go against us of late. I’m not blaming referees, though. We’ve got to fine tune and make sure we stop the individual mistakes.

“I do feel the season is going OK. We have won five games in League One since coming up.

“And that compares well to some teams who have struggled in this division after winning promotion.

“We are getting a lot of respect from opponents, and we are finding that the difference between a win and a draw, or a draw and a defeat, is minimal.”