Holden hails Oldham show

Dean Holden was delighted to give Oldham fans another derby triumph over Rochdale following a 3-0 win at SportsDirect.com Park.

Latics recorded their second victory by that scoreline over their local neighbours this term thanks to a Rhys Turner brace and strike partner Jonathan Forte's 15th goal of the season. It gave Holden his first home victory as manager at SportsDirect.com Park, denying the club he used to play for a spot in the Sky Bet League One play-off places. "Everything we spoke about it in the game-plan all came together nicely," said Holden. "I've just said to the lads you do the right things no matter what the result is. We didn't get the results initially but you just keep believing in what you're doing, keep doing the right things and you'll get the results. That's what we've had the last two games. "We knew it would be a good atmosphere come kick off and it was important we started well, got a foothold in the game and kept the crowd behind us. "The lads did that with everything we put across before the game with all the rivalry. It's the biggest game the fans look for all season and to win both games 3-0 is very, very satisfying from an Oldham point of view." Rochdale's evening was thrown into turmoil inside the opening 45 minutes when Peter Vincenti, Jamie Allen and Stephen Dawson all had to be withdrawn because of injury. Boss Keith Hill, who also saw Ashley Eastham forced off in the second half, highlighted those early substitutions but also stressed he would not be losing any sleep over a loss to their closest rivals. Instead the ex-Barnsley manager believes the experience will make his promotion-chasing side stronger. "It's not about this game, it's about a season," said Hill, who thinks the head injury Allen sustained has likely ruled him out for the remainder of the season. "I feel for the supporters because these nights are difficult but they make you as a team, as a football club. "We're still eighth, I'm sure we are. So one thing I won't be doing is going home and cutting my big toe off. I'm really optimistic. "I look at games like we've had here and I see the opposition bragging, I see the players of the opposition taunting our players at times and I really relish another opportunity for my players. "They're difficult games and when we've got games like that they can be victims. "But if we take aside the three goals, that were poor, I really don't believe there were a lot of victims on the pitch from our side. They tried to do everything they possibly could and things didn't work out. "It wasn't through lack of effort or commitment; it just got so clueless and there was nothing those players could do about it. "But when there is a little bit of humiliation, rubbed in by the opposition, instead of respect, then you know when you've got players like we've got that they'll come out fighting and they will do."