ROCHDALE boss Keith Hill is playing down expectations of a promotion push after his side’s impressive start.

Dale entertain City in fifth spot on the back of an impressive run of home form.

Tuesday’s 3-2 win over Shrewsbury was their fourth in five games at Spotland but Hill remains wary of talking up their chances so early on against rivals with bigger resources.

Hill said: “We are a very good team when we get everything right and I think for two or three games this season we have done.

“But if you have three or four players at Rochdale who are not performing to their maximum high standard, then we struggle.

“At another club you may get away with it because of the calibre of player. I’m not decrying that we haven’t got the calibre of player, but we are strong together, strong in the way that we do things and support one another.

“That’s the difference between us maintaining the challenge and other teams like Sheffield United or Coventry going on and being strong throughout the course of the season, because of the calibre of player they can recruit.”

Walsall are the only visiting side to take any points from Spotland, although Shrewsbury gave them a scare in midweek. Trailing 3-0 inside the first 15 minutes, they had cut the deficit to a single goal by half-time.

Hill admitted his team got caught up in the “opposition’s desperation and chaos that they were trying to create.” But they negotiated the second half without further mishap.

Dale are likely to stick with the same team after Hill resorted to the side that had started the season so strongly.

Joe Rafferty’s return in place of Matty Lund as the holding midfielder was seen as a crucial change in their return to form.

The Bantams will also have to keep a close eye on Irishman Donal McDermott who lines up in centre midfield but tends to drift out to the right in their fluid formation.

A former Man City junior, McDermott is enjoying a new lease of life after Hill picked him up from non-league Ramsbottom.