Robbie Stockdale knows Rochdale are not safe from relegation yet

Rochdale boss Robbie Stockdale labelled Tuesday’s home game against Carlisle as “huge” after a 1-0 defeat at Crawley left his side without a win in their last seven games.

Fifth-bottom Dale are nine points clear of the relegation zone with eight games remaining and Stockdale says they are in a position where they have to try and find the “right formula.”

A first-half goal by Ashley Nadesan was enough to give Crawley back-to-back home wins for the first time in a year, but Stockdale felt it was all about the hosts cashing in on a defensive mistake.

Stockdale said: “It was another disappointing afternoon. There was not a lot in the game but one big mistake led to them capitalising.

“We are fully aware of the position we find ourselves in and the only way now is to roll up our sleeves and fight.

“Tuesday’s game is huge. It’s a game we need three points from.

“We’ve let our fans down several times and there has been a lack of quality, but losing key players in January didn’t help.

“I was disappointed with our quality on the ball and the way we gifted them a goal.”

Crawley are heading for their third successive mid-table finish under John Yems but, with the head coach absent due to Covid-19, his assistant Lewis Young stepped up to run the side.

Young, promoted in the last month following Lee Bradbury’s move to Eastleigh, revealed he found out about Yems’ illness in the early hours and it was a game the Reds “found a different way of winning.”

He said: “Thanks to the gaffer and others it was an easier transition for me and John was running things until Friday,

“It was not one of our better performances but we’ve come away with three points and now we’ve got to work on making this place more of a fortress again.

“I’m not a nervy person. We’ve got a good, honest group and they’ve been brilliant. It was a steady performance and we found a different way of winning.”

Young, younger brother of Aston Villa utility player Ashley Young, is optimistic about the future and enthused: “John has done a brilliant job and long may he be in charge.

“The team is a reflection of his personality and if I still was a player I would love to be in this group myself.”