Switch off moments proved costly for O's in Rochdale draw

A 90th minute goal from Alex Newby denied the O’s a win as he nabbed a 2-2 draw for Rochdale.

Newby netted in the first minute of play before Aaron Drinan and Craig Clay scored for the O’s to put them in control until the final minute.

“We are, the corner they’ve got a lot of bodies in, but they’ve got the first and the second contact. The initial header hit Lawrence (Vigouroux) but we need to be there to read the second ball to hook it out. It’s those moments that have cost us,” Jackett said.

“Generally it was quite a good performance and I did think we were the better side, but you have to concentrate for 90 minutes, which is unlike us as we’ve been very strong at the back.

“Not just the defenders, but in our set-piece defending, and our defending as a block and as a team. The first minute and last minute have let us down in the bit in between we played very well.

“We got done on the far post, Corey O’Keefe and Newby are free at the back post, our left wing-back couldn’t get around quick enough and they put it in.

“There was of course a lot of time to go and I still felt confident once the game started. We did a lot of things right. We obviously need to eradicate those mistakes.

“Two goals, it needs to be 0 and 1s in the against column and it wasn’t there. Rochdale have got some attacking ability, even though we were up and around their box for a lot of the game, and if we got our passing right then we deserved to score more.”

The boss was full of praise for midfielder Craig Clay and feels the team can continue to improve as a whole.

“A half volley, he (Craig Clay) got over it and retained it very well, the gap was there just inside the box so he gave the goalkeeper no chance. It was a terrific goal.

“I think in most positions we have good players, I'm pleased with the effort that the players are putting in, and for a lot of our players they’re on the way up which is a positive thing.”