What 'excited' Rochdale boss Brian Barry-Murphy had to say about impending Portsmouth visit

And the Rochdale boss is confident his Spotland side have a good chance of picking up a win against Kenny Jackett’s visitors.

The 16th-placed hosts go into the game three places below the Blues in the table and two points worse off – despite playing three more matches than Pompey.

They secured their place in the second round of the FA Cup with a 1-0 replay win against non-league Wrexham in midweek.

SEE ALSO: Kenny Jackett lays it on the line to Pompey players as league action returns

But Dale approach the fixture on the back of four straight league defeats at the hands of Oxford, Bristol Rovers, Ipswich and Coventry.

Injuries are also mounting up, with experienced central defender Paul McShane joining those already in the treatment following his early withdrawal against the Dragons on Tuesday night.

Regardless, Barry-Murphy admitted his team are buoyed by the prospect of playing in front of a bumper crowd on Saturday and denying the Blues the chance to kick-start their League One season.

The manager told rochdaleafc.co.uk: ‘It is a game we are very excited by.

‘We feel that if we play well, we can provide them with a lot of problems.

‘Tuesday night’s game was fantastic to get the win, but there were parts of the game where certain points of the tactical set-up hindered the players in their attacking processes.

‘They found a way to win the game. We have to help our attacking players get into those positions quickly and it is something we are working on.

‘The league games have been fantastic crowds for us, as have our cup games.

‘Tuesday night was difficult for our fans to attend, but against a team like Portsmouth, our lads can’t wait to see what the atmosphere will be like at the Crown Oil Arena.

‘We are very keen to get a performance on board to provide them (the fans) with excitement and, while respecting the opposition, we are confident we can provide a stern test for Portsmouth that gives us a good chance of winning the game.’