Hill happy to hang on

Keith Hill was relieved to see his tiring Rochdale troops win 2-1 against Colchester to make it back-to-back home victories.

Rhys Bennett opened the scoring early on and Ian Henderson put Dale in control with a goal against his former club 10 minutes into the second half. But a Chris Porter penalty set up a nervy finish with Hill's side just about holding on for a 2-1 success and the three points. "The points are absolutely brilliant," said the Rochdale manager. "It was a difficult game - we started superbly with plenty of energy and a bright spark about us but I think the three games we've played in the last week caught up with us and some of the players who have played all three games started to look a little tired, a little leggy in the second half. But we held on, we dug in and we got the three points. "Jamie Jones has made some great saves and it could have been so different. But those are the fine margins. Colchester will probably consider themselves a little unfortunate." Hill's team took the lead after six minutes when Joe Bunney nodded Michael Rose's cross into the path of Bennett and he prodded past Sam Walker from six yards. Dale's lead was almost doubled when Jamie Allen fed Bunney and his cross-cum-shot was saved by Walker. The home side continued to dominate possession but Colchester posed a threat on the counter attack. Sammi Szmodics' shot out of the blue from 25 yards had Rochdale goalkeeper Jones flying across his goal-line to keep out. Dale doubled their lead in the 55th minute when Jack O'Connell's ball over Matthew Briggs' head was collected by Henderson and he sent a powerful volley wide of Walker from a tight angle. Colchester were handed lifeline when Gavin Massey was brought down by Rose in the 63rd minute and Porter slammed home the resulting penalty. Jones kept out David Fox's long-range shot and a low drive from substitute Macauley Bonne as Colchester pressed for an equaliser. "How many times have we said this season we've played well, had a decent performance, created opportunities but two defensive lapses?" said Colchester boss Tony Humes. "They catch up with you, you can't keep doing it. That's what's cost us. "It took us five or 10 minutes to get going. A free header from a set-play - that cost us, somebody not taking responsibility for doing their job. "I thought we finished the second half well but we'd conceded an early goal, didn't deal with the ball well in the air, which we knew is what we were going to get all afternoon. "We talked before the game about Rochdale being brave and having dangerous forwards. We knew Ian Henderson was going to chase every lost cause. It was a great bit of skill by him for the second goal but he shouldn't have got there in the first place."