AFC Fylde manager's message to his players after Rochdale pre-season defeat

The Coasters went down 1-0 to Rochdale at Mill Farm on Saturday with Jake Beesley’s first-half effort proving the difference.

It was the club’s third-single goal defeat to EFL opposition in pre-season, following on from the losses to Blackburn Rovers and Wigan Athletic.

Speaking to the club website afterwards, Bentley said: “Rochdale were League One, now a League Two club, but a good management set-up and good players in the ranks.

“We knew it would be a tough game for us but, if you look at the game overall, from our point of view, we’re a little bit disappointed in our performance, certainly first half.

“I think we’re capable of more. We showed flashes at times – four or five good movements within the first half where we were pretty pleased and we created opportunities from that.

“We wanted a little bit more, being perfectly honest. We got up to a standard and then we tailed off.

“We thought, at times, there was probably a bit too much square and backward passing when we had the opportunity, maybe, to play forward and run forward a little bit more.

“I’m pleased with some aspects of it, individually and as a team, and on the other side, there’s still room for improvement or development in certain aspects, again individually and as a team.

“We take out what we need to take out and we move forward.

“We’ve worked a lot on defensive stuff, knowing that we’re going to come up against Rochdale, Blackburn and Wigan. They are the type of games where the likelihood is you’re going to have less possession.

“This week will all be geared up on our offensive play, our attacking patterns, our shape, working on end product and goalscoring opportunities.”

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