Fleetwood will look to improve on three straight draws as they travel to Spotland to face Rochdale this Tuesday.
The trip to Spotland is a relatively short one in comparison to Town’s last away game at Charlton and is a rearranged fixture after last month’s original match was called off due to a waterlogged pitch.
Rochdale drew 1-1 with fellow Sky Bet League One strugglers AFC Wimbledon on Saturday, with Tuesday clash a proverbial six pointer in the bottom half of the table.
John Sheridan said…
“They’re a good team. I get on well with Keith [Hill] and I’ve always liked the way he gets his team playing. They have some good young players and he gives those youngsters a chance as well. I’m very surprised they’ve ended up near the bottom but they’re there for a reason.
“We’ve got to go there and make sure we compete, because if we let them play, I think they are actually one of the best teams in the league on their day. We’re confident in ourselves, we’re unbeaten in three, so that’s the way I’ve looked at it since I’ve come in. I’m pleased with the way things are going and it’s just about that next game.”
Keith Hill said…
“We’ve had 14 clean sheets in the league this season, so if we remain reasonably tight, we’ve got to convert our opportunities. That’s whether you’re a central defender in a goal scoring position, or a right-back or a left-back, because the onus can’t just be on Ian Henderson.
“There can be no pressure – you’ve just got to get on with your work and do what you need to do, and the pressure will take care of itself. As far as I’m concerned, there’s no pressure on these players. Most of the footballing world have already written us off so we’re not fighting anything accept ourselves.”
Form Guide
Town have drawn their last three games in the league, with John Sheridan having steadied the ship ahead of three crucial games in the league, starting on Tuesday.
Rochdale have improved lately, since being dumped out of the cup at by Tottenham Hotspur, having drawn two and won two of their last four games in the league. They are five points from safety but do have three games in hand over their closest rivals.
Rochdale last five: LWWDD
Fleetwood last five: LLDDD
We’ve Met Before
It was a feisty encounter the last time the two sides met. The 2-2 draw at Highbury was marred by the controversial late dismissal of Wes Burns, which was eventually overturned. Ash Eastham had given Town the lead before Brad Inman and Ian Henderson put Rochdale ahead. Devante Cole salvaged a point with an 83rd minute equaliser.
In the previous eleven matches, there had been four draws, four Rochdale wins, and three for Fleetwood.
One to Watch
Ian Henderson is a fan’s favourite amongst the Rochdale faithful, having been at the club since 2013. With almost 200 appearances in a blue shirt, he’s scored 62 goals in his time at Spotland. Henderson was a product of the Norwich City youth system and 58 appearances for their first team between 2002-2007. From here, via a loan spell at Rotherham, he signed for Northampton, then Luton. After a short spell in Turkey with Ankaragucu, Henderson returned to the UK to sign for Colchester United where he stayed for three years, making 118 appearances. From here, Rochdale signed him. He’s scored 13 goals for the Greater Manchester side this season so far.
Fancy a Flutter?
League partners Sky Bet have released their odds for Tuesday’s match, and have Fleetwood at 7/2 to take all three points at Spotland. The hosts are 17/20 with a draw at 12/5.
You can get odds of 80/1 for Ash Hunter to open the scoring with Town winning 2-1, while Paddy Madden to score first in a 2-0 comes in at 100/1.
A repeat score line of 2-2 that the two sides shared in the return fixture at Highbury is available at 18/1, while 1-1 is 5/1.
To score in the 90 minutes, Conor McAleny is 3/1, while Kyle Dempsey is 10/1 and Lewie Coyle at 33/1.
A full list of odds can be found at skybet.com. Please gamble responsibly.