Dale face Conference side Aldershot in second round of the FA Cup

Photo: Karl Whitehead

Keith Hill

After progressing to the second round of the FA Cup on Tuesday evening, Dale now have an away trip to Aldershot Town next month.

The Shots progressed to this stage of the competition after a first round replay win over Portsmouth, and Manager Keith Hill is expecting a tough encounter against the Conference side.

“It’s a difficult ask,” Hill said.

“I could pick up the phone and ask Portsmouth and they would say, ‘wow, it’s a very difficult tie’, and it is.

“There are no suggestions that we are going to be going through to the next round. We have to work hard, there’s going to be an intensity to the game, and it’s an exciting prospect.

“Looking at it, there will be an expectation to go through but we won’t have that sort of expectation. We’ll have a plan, we’ll have a drive and we’ll have a commitment to be our best against Aldershot.”