Dale drew a blank for a second game in a row as Bournemouth came away from Spotland with a 0-0 draw.

A game which didn't produce many chances was just shaded by Dale who dominated the opening half an hour. But neither side could produce a decent opening until the final ten minutes.

Dale could count themselves extremely lucky not to have conceded with three minutes to go when Brett Pitman had a goal disallowed despite looking onside.

But only Chris Dagnall could test Cherries' keeper Shwan Jalal with time running out, and the game ended 0-0.

There was just one change from the side that was beaten at Chesterfield on Saturday, with Kallum Higginbotham coming in for Joe Thompson who didn't make the squad. Frank Fielding was in goal, with Scott Wiseman, Rory McArdle, Nathan Stanton and Tom Kennedy making up the back four. Ciaran Toner, Gary Jones and Jason Kennedy were the three in midfield, with Higginbotham playing in the free role behind Chris O'Grady and Chris Dagnall. New acquisition Michael Lea made the Rochdale bench.

Bournemouth boss Eddie Howe won't have let his players forget the result at the Fitness First Stadium in October, when Dale ran out 4-0 victors. Whilst The Cherries main aim is undoubtedly securing promotion, revenge is always sweet and Dale would have to be wary of the away side coming out of the traps quickly early on in order to put the pressure on Dale.

However, the opening ten minutes were quiet, with Dale applying the early pressure through the midfield and front three of Dagnall, O'Grady and Higginbotham. It was Higginbotham who picked up the first yellow card of the game eight minutes in when he made a late challenge on Rhoys Wiggins.

Brett Pitman had Bournemouth's first chance from a free-kick which just went wide of Frank Fielding's post, before Dale had efforts through Gary Jones and Chris O'Grady off target after good football.

Dale hadn't lost back-to-back League games since the 3^rd and 4^th games of the season, when defeats to Cheltenham then Rotherham left Dale in 18^th place in League Two and in the opening stages that record didn't look like changing anytime soon.

The first half was one with no clear chances for either side, but it was Dale who were applying the pressure with some good, intricate football.

However, as the half entered the last ten minutes The Cherries began to get a foot on the ball and apply some pressure of their own. Jason Pearce had a free header which he failed to make decent contact with, before Alan Connell missed a chance at the back post when any good contact would have put Frank Fielding in trouble.

The half wound down quietly and the two minutes of added time couldn't produce anything of note, meaning the players went back into the changing rooms leaving both managers with work to do at half-time.

If the first half was quiet to the end, the second half certainly wasn't. Early pressure from Dale lifted the crowd inside Spotland and Keith Hill's side had some decent chances in the opening minutes.

Perhaps the best chance fell to Tom Kennedy who roamed forward from his left back position and got a right foot to a low ball in which ricocheted off two defenders before eventually being cleared by The Cherries defence.

Much like the first half, the second didn't produce a clear opening for either side and the away side began to get a lot more into the game as they had good spells of pressure. However, much like Dale in the first half, for all their possession they couldn't create an opening.

Dale's first substitution came in the 72^nd minute when Kallum Higginbotham was replaced by Temitope Obadeyi.

With the game entering the final ten minutes the intensity was raised and both sides came close to scoring. Sammy Igoe had a great effort from distance which just flew over the crossbar with Frank Fielding diving for it.

Chris Dagnall then came close to opening the scoring when he turned inside the box and let off a left foot shot, only to be denied by Shwan Jalal who saved low to his left.

Then came a moment of controversy with three minutes remaining. Warren Feeney played a great ball into the path of Brett Pitman who finished the ball past Frank Fielding, but had it ruled out due to a linesman's flag on the nearside. Bournemouth's leading scorer looked to be onside and Dale could count themselves lucky to be level.

There were three minutes of added time but despite pressure from Dale nothing came from that added time, and the game came to a close at 0-0, with Dale failing to score for a second time in succession.

Promotion can still be a achieved in Torquay on Saturday but Dale now need other results to go their way.

Dale: Fielding, Wiseman, McArdle, Stanton, T Kennedy, Toner, Jones, J Kennedy, Higginbotham, O'Grady, Dagnall.

Bournemouth: Jalal, Wiggins, Bartley, Connell, Pearce, Robinson, Pitman, Feeney, Hollands, Bradbury, Garry.

Referee: Carl Boyeson (East Yorkshire). Assistant Referees: Michael Naylor (Sheffield) & Paul Norris (Cheshire). Fourth Official: Chris Kavanagh (Lancashire).

Attendance: 5,027.