Hill pleased with Dale defensive record as he anticipates Rotherham game

Rochdale AFC manager Keith Hill

Following the midweek draw against Stoke U21s in the ELF Trophy, it is back to the league on Saturday (7 October) for Rochdale as Rotherham are welcomed to the Crown Oil Arena.

Manager Keith Hill is pleased with five successive clean sheets, but will also be hoping the players find their scoring boots after three successive no scoring draws.

He said: "I think we have got our attitude towards defending correct.

"There is a little bit of luck involved as well, because some of the opponents we have had opportunities, but we have kept clean sheets and it is good.

"The application of the players is very good and there is an ambition to make sure that we keep the ball out of the net, which is what you want as a manager.

"The players are showing signs of a togetherness and a team spirit, and that team spirit is not built by liking your team-mate, it is built by an aggressive nature to make sure that you do not lose games. That do not lose games attitude turns into camaraderie and then you go on to win games. What you do on the football pitch builds team spirit."

Rotherham, who sit eighth in the table with 18 points from 11 games, will prove difficult opponents for Dale. They have won their last three league outings with an impressive eight goals for and only one against.

However, Rotherham United manager Paul Warne knows Dale have gone without conceding in their last five outings and believes they are currently in a false position in the league.

He said: “I do not regard Rochdale as one of the bottom clubs and I think they will finish in the top 10.

"If we are to come away with the points there it is going to be really hard to break them down.”