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Squad facing big-game test

3/ 5/2008

KEITH HILL will tap into his own experience of the play-offs – memories bitter and sweet – in preparing his young squad for the march towards League One

Rochdale play their final League Two fixture of the season against Shrewsbury at Spotland this afternoon (3pm kick off) with Hill warning his in-form troops that a good sequence of results in the run-in counts for nothing come play-off time.

"Form means nothing – I’ve been involved in the play-offs no fewer than seven times and I’ve experienced both sides of the coin, successful and

unsuccessful," said the Dale chief.

"When I was at Blackburn we lost all but one of our last seven matches but went up after beating Leicester at Wembley.

"On the other hand, at Plymouth we

finished 12 points clear of Burnley but missed out to them in the play-offs.

"It’s all about turning up on the day. You don’t know what’s going to happen and if I’m honest I don’t know whether I have any big-game players, because these lads have not been involved in big games like the play-offs before.

"That said, their inexperience and the fact they play with a no-fear attitude could stand us in good stead.

"Without question, our preparation will be the key – it’s the first ‘P’ in

professionalism and there’s no truer

saying than fail to prepare, prepare to fail.