Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink insisted his Burton side had achieved nothing yet following their 2-0 win at struggling Rochdale

It was the Brewers’ fourth successive win on the road, a run of form that has lifted them off the foot of the Sky Bet League One table and put them on the path to safety.

Having been bottom for so long, they are now only in the relegation zone by virtue of goal difference, level on points with Dale who currently occupy 20th place and are without a win in six and have failed to score in their last four games.

However, Hasselbaink is paying no attention to the league table at this stage.

“No word of a lie, I haven’t looked at the table, I know it’s important but I don’t want to concentrate on that because there is so much work ahead,” he said.

“We have to take it game by game, pick up points and wins and just concentrate on us.

“It’s great that we’re off the bottom, but we have done nothing yet. We have to stay focused.

“It was the right outcome for us today, it’s what we were after. In the second half we were the better team, I felt we went up a couple of notches.”

Dale made the brighter start in what was an evenly-contested first half.

On their first attack, Rochdale had the Burton defence stretched as Aaron Morley’s free-kick prompted efforts from Stephen Humphrys, Alex Newby and Kwadwo Baah in quick succession, all blocked by the Brewers backline.

That opening-minute incident was as close as Dale would get to ending their barren run in front of goal. Newby’s tame header later in the half barely tested Ben Garratt in Burton’s goal.

The visitors warmed to the task and ended the first half in the ascendancy with Gavin Bazunu saving brilliantly to deny Tom Hamer.

Substitute Kane Hemmings poked them ahead in the 66th minute after a long throw-in from Hamer and Lucas Akins sealed the points with a fine effort from 20 yards in the 86th minute.

By that stage, Dale were down to 10 men after Ollie Rathbone was dismissed minutes earlier for an altercation with Jonny Smith.

“Ollie got caught up in the moment,” said Dale boss Brian Barry-Murphy. “It was reckless from Burton’s player but we can’t control what they do, only what we do and I’ve no complaints over the decision.

“It was a very disappointing afternoon from us. Burton’s intensity after the break was too much for us and it looked a game too far.

“I just felt we were unable to match the performance levels we’ve produced in recent games. Our skill levels were a lot lower than in previous games.

“It’s a very difficult moment for us with results like this when our squad is so stretched. We have a host of forward players all missing.”