Opposition view: Rochdale boss relieved to grab late equaliser against Cobblers

Humphrys free-kick stopped the rot after four straight defeats
Brian Barry-Murphy.Brian Barry-Murphy.
Brian Barry-Murphy.

Rochdale manager Brian Barry-Murphy admitted he was relieved to take at least a point from Tuesday's game against Northampton following a run of four successive defeats.

Dale started the game in 20th position and were staring at a place in the League One relegation zone with five minutes to play after Harry Smith's first-half header.

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But Stephen Humphrys smashed home a terrific late free-kick to rescue a point and keep Dale outside the bottom four on goal difference. It was a fair outcome on the balance of play after the home side dominated possession.

"I thought it was a very enjoyable game to watch, helped by the end result because we managed to get the equaliser," said Barry-Murphy. "We've had similar games in recent weeks and similar patterns with teams scoring and then defending deep against us.

"We haven't been able to break them down in previous matches so to finally get a goal for our efforts was a huge reward for everybody.

"We had a lot of possession but it's about the end product and that's something we are always looking to improve. Even though we got the goal and got a draw tonight, we can still do a lot better and the players are fully aware of that and they are very keen to improve.

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"The evolution of the team is going to take a while. We've had a lot of change here but I think it's a very exciting time for us. It may not always be easy this season but I think it'll be exciting."