'Bury game won't decide our season' - Hill ahead of derby day

Rochdale manager Keith Hill has moved to play down the importance of this weekend's derby game against Bury, saying that the result will not make or break Dale's season.

The atmosphere among the fans is reaching fever pitch ahead of the fixture as Dale hope to hold on to third place in the league and keep their rivals below them in the promotion race and Hill knows the supporters will be turning up in their thousands looking for a positive outcome.

"It will be like playing at home," he said. "We will probably get about 2,500 to 3,000 supporters and it's an opportunity for the supporters to get the bragging rights; but will the fixture be a deciding factor in whether we get promoted or not, or whether we get in the play-offs or not? My answer to that would be definitely not.

"We have got to go there and pick up from losing the Barnet game and put our away form back on track because previous to Tuesday we had won our last four away games.

"It would be nice to go there and compete with Bury and try and get three points but they are a good side."

Bury themselves go into the game looking to pick themselves up following a 2-1 home reverse at the hands of Chesterfield in midweek.

"They got beaten on Tuesday at home so they will be hurting aswell but it will be a game between two good sides who are competing, so let's see who wins."

Although the Bury game is not make or break for Hill, it forms part of a run of fixtures between now and the end of the season which will define Dale's campaign. "I am sure over the next 12 games we will get enough results to at least get in the play-offs," said Hill.

Rochdale supporters are being advised that although the game is not all-ticket, tickets are available from the ticket office at Spotland up to noon tomorrow (Friday 6 February).