Dale got back to winning ways with a two goal victory over Crewe thanks to a Chris O'Grady goal and an own goal from Matt Tootle.
Keith Hill made two changes to the side that lost at Bury, with captain Gary Jones returning in midfield and loan signing from Bolton Temitope Obadeyi making his home debut after impressing at Gigg Lane. Frank Fielding was in goals for his second home debut at Spotland, with the back four of Scott Wiseman, Craig Dawson, Nathan Stanton and Tom Kennedy remaining unchanged. Jones partnered Jason Taylor in the middle of the park, with Will Atkinson also making his second home debut and Obadeyi on the wings. Chris O'Grady and Chris Dagnall partnered each other up front.
The opening five minutes of the game were quiet on a footballing front, with the main thing of note an injury to Crewe's Calvin Zola. The striker went down feeling his hamstring and was replaced by Byron Moore after just three minutes.
The first chance of the game fell to Dale through new signing Temitope Obadeyi. Good football from the home side led to Tom Kennedy putting in a first time cross from the left wing to the back post where Obadeyi was steaming in, but the on-loan forward's header went high and wide into the Sandy Lane end.
However, it didn't take long for Dale to find the target and it was Chris O'Grady who re-found his shooting boots to put Dale ahead. He found Chris Dagnall on the left of the area who beat his man for pace and let off a shot which was superbly cleared off the line. However, the ball only came out to O'Grady who vollied home with a rocket to give Dale an 8th minute lead.
The early goal was exactly what Dale were hoping for and it settled any nerves inside Spotland. A second would have been very welcome and Temitope Obadeyi had a good chance to double Dale's lead two minutes later, but his shot on the turn flew high into the road behind the Sandy Lane end.
Whilst the score was at 1-0 there was always a possibility that Crewe would grab an equaliser and level the scores up, and only Frank Fielding stopped Steve Schumacher from doing just that. His free kick from around 30 yards out was on target and Fielding did well to palm the ball down before it was cleared.
Crewe were pressing and had another good chance to equalise with Steve Schumacher involved again. He played a good ball into Luke Murphy who had made a strong run, but Murphy's shot went high over the bar with Fielding being untroubled.
The Railwaymen were continuing to threaten the Dale goal and they had a very strong shout for a penalty inside the first 30 minutes. Substitute Byron Moore made a good run and Craig Dawson went in for the challenge with the striker. From the Main Stand view it looked as though Dawson made little contact with the ball and brought Moore down, but referee Steve Rushton waved play on.
This incident seemed to shock Dale into life and they began to get a better foothold in the game following that penalty shout. Temitope Obadeyi was impressing on the right for Dale and he cut inside and unleashed a great effort which looked destine for the net, but for a good block from a Crewe defender as the ball flew out for a corner.
In the 38th minute Nathan Stanton came off for Rory McArdle. Stanton looked to have picked up a knock and sat in the dugout with an ice pack on his left thigh.
A substitute early on always has the ability to upset a team's rhythm, but Dale continued to press and Chris O'Grady had a header from a Tom Kennedy corner well saved by Crewe 'keeper Steve Phillips.
The last chance of the half fell to Chris Dagnall who looked like he had lost the ball at first, before reacting quickest to the loose ball and firing off a great shot at Steve Phillips who did very well to get to the ball and divert it away from goal.
The second half kicked off and inside the first minute Dale had doubled their lead in the most fortuitous of circumstances. Chris O'Grady had the ball on the left and played a good ball into the box which was just ahead of Chris Dagnall, but Matt Tootle, who looked to be under no pressure, took a heavy touch at the back post and the ball rolled into the Crewe goal past Steve Phillips to double Dale's lead.
A goal like that can always lead to the fight being sucked out of the team and player involved and this looked to be the case as Dale were the ones looking most likely to score again.
In the 60th minute loan signing Temitope Obadeyi was brought off for Kallum Higginbotham who went to the right side.
Higginbotham was involved straight away and he played in Chris O'Grady who crossed for Will Atkinson at the back post, but the winger couldn't get any power in his header and it was easy for Steve Phillips to pluck out of the air.
Phillips had to be alert again just a minute later when Craig Dawson got his head on a Tom Kennedy cross, but Phillips made a great reaction save to keep the ball from crossing the line before it was cleared by the Crewe defence.
Steve Phillips' opposite number Frank Fielding was playing a watching game in his goal as he remained untroubled, but Luke Murphy had Crewe's first shot of the half which saw Fielding make a good save low to his right to tip the ball out for a corner.
As the game entered the final ten minutes Dale were looking for a third goal whilst making sure Crewe didn't grab a goal that would see them get right back into the game. Chris Dagnall had the next Dale effort but his shot was deflected into the arms of Steve Phillips. Gary Jones had an effort from range after a Dagnall lay off but he sliced his shot into the TDS Stand.
As the clock ticked down the game wound down with both sides content to keep the ball, but neither side could create a goalscoring opportunity, and the four minutes of added time only brought a Kallum Higginbotham shot that was blocked in front of goal.
It was a strong performance defensively from Keith Hill's men and a clean sheet would be very welcome to Frank Fielding as Dale take a fortnight's break before welcoming Dagenham and Redbridge to Spotland.
Dale: Fielding, Wiseman, T Kennedy, Dawson, Stanton, Jones, Taylor, Atkinson, Obadeyi, O'Grady, Dagnall.
Crewe: Phillips, Brayford, Schumacher, O'Donnell, Miller, Zola, Murphy, Westwood, Tootle, Worley, Walton.
Referee: Steve Rushton (Staffordshire). Assistant Referees: Chris Akers (South Yorkshire) & Jonathon Hunt (County Durham). Fourth Official: William Smallwood (Cheshire).
Attendance: 3,164.
