Le Fondre must keep scoring says Hill

Photo: Jon Coluccio

Le Fondre's trademark celebration has been used six times in Dale's last five outings.

In form Rochdale striker Adam Le Fondre has to keep finding the back of the net if he is to maintain his place in the Dale side according to manager Keith Hill.

This season's top scorer, who has found the net in each of Dale's last three league games, has recently enjoyed an extended run in the side, starting the last five fixtures.

But his manager says the former Stockport County man has to keep scoring goals if he is to stay in the side, with Chris Dagnall and Jon Shaw waiting in the wings to take Le Fondre's place.

"He is on fire at the moment," said Keith Hill. "We have got good strikers at the club and it is very difficult to pair two from four or five. If you also consider we have got players like Will Buckley, Adam Rundle and Joe Thompson, who was absent on Saturday because something happened with his family over the weekend, then we have got good rotations within the squad.

"Adam Le Fondre is scoring and while he is scoring he will probably keep his place in the side but as well as scoring he has got to play better than he did in the first half against Bournemouth. In the second half he came to life and looked a real threat."

While the scouts have flocked to Spotland to keep an eye on Will Buckley this season, with the list of clubs rumoured to be interested in the young winger growing week by week, they may also have written Le Fondre's name in their notebooks as one to look out for.

The striker has six goals from five starts, which included a sublime hat trick against Barnet in a first round FA Cup replay at Spotland last month.

Le Fondre is well set to pick up the Dale 'golden boot' for the second season running, after hitting 18 last term, and since joining Dale permanently at the start of last season he has found the net 28 times in 47 starts in all competitions.