Blackpool boss Grayson plays down frustration of goalless draw at Rochdale

Posted Sunday, August 25, 2019 by PA

Blackpool boss Simon Grayson shrugged off the frustration of being held to a goalless draw at Rochdale and focused instead on the positives from his side’s display.

The result saw Ipswich overtake the Seasiders at the top of the table on goal difference.

But having dominated large parts of the game, Grayson was consoled by an impressive display with only Rochdale goalkeeper Robert Sanchez standing between them and victory.

“It was a frustrating result but a very good performance,” said Grayson. “I said after the Oxford win last week that we’d play far better and not win a game and I think that was the case.

“Their goalkeeper was man of the match and we just couldn’t find a way of breaking them down, even though it was probably one of the best performances of the season so far.

“There were a lot of positives to the performance and this was always going to be a tough test because Rochdale have a way of playing that has plenty of flexibility, people move around into false positions and we had spoken about this being our hardest game of the season so far.

“But we limited them to very few chances, in fact I don’t think Jak has had a save to make.

“We dominated large parts of the game, so as frustrated as we are not to win the game, we’ve kept a clean sheet and we remain unbeaten.”

The home side started brightly and had the better of the opening 15 minutes. However, the contest turned on a gilt-edged chance for Armand Gnanduillet, whose header from Jordan Thompson’s corner looked destined for the roof of the net until Sanchez produced a stunning save.

In the second half, Callum Guy volleyed straight at Sanchez from 10 yards and in time added on a cross from Ryan Hardie beat Sanchez at his near post, the ball bouncing across his goalline onto the far post before the home defence scrambled it clear.

Dale chief Brian Barry-Murphy said: “I’m very pleased with a point, Blackpool are a very strong team, they have acquired good players. They are a very different beast to the team they were last season.

“Our technical ability was not as high in terms of quality as we want it to be, but we set very high standards and while our intensity was not what we can produce, our defending was resolute.

“It was a great clean sheet and we are honest enough to admit that we didn’t hit the heights of recent weeks.

“But I put a lot of that down to myself in trying to implement the same strategy and the same players who had put so much into the game against Sunderland in midweek.”