Dale suffered a shock exit from the FA Cup as they suffered a 2-0 defeat at the hands of Luton Town. A brace from former QPR striker Kevin Gallen was enough to sink Keith Hill's hopes of a cup run, made all the more disappointing considering the chances his side created in the game.

Kevin Gallen gave The Hatters the lead on the hour mark with a flick at the near post past young debutant Danny Taberner. He made it two 15 minutes later with a simple tap-in after Taberner had done well to save a George Pilkington header.

Dale made just one change to the side that started at Luton on Saturday, with Youth Team goalkeeper Danny Taberner making his professional debut due to the absence of Kenny Arthur through injury. Marcus Holness started at right-back, scorer of Saturday's first comeback goal Craig Dawson and Rory McArdle were paired at centre-back, with Tom Kennedy starting at left-back. Gary Jones and Jason Kennedy paired up in midfield, with Joe Thompson and Adam Rundle playing on the wings. Chris O'Grady and Chris Dagnall continued their partnership up top. Substitute goalkeeper was Jordan Andrews, who needed permission from his school to be a part of the squad tonight, whilst youngsters Josh Brizell and Callum Byrne were also on the bench.

Following Saturday's embarrassing start for Dale, it was important to get off to a good one this time around, and their first attack came after just 41 seconds with Tom Kennedy the surprise forward. He ran onto a chipped through ball from Joe Thompson to fire a shot in from a tight angle on the left hand side of the box, but it was well saved by the legs of Shane Gore.

The home side's early pressure continued with Adam Rundle agonisingly close to turning home a Tom Kennedy cross at the far post. Chris O'Grady came very close to opening the scoring, but his shot from an Adam Rundle cross was deflected just wide by Luton defender George Pilkington.

After the first five minutes of promise, the tie died down a little in terms of ferocity in the following ten minutes. The first yellow card of the game came when Luton captain Kevin Nicholls went in late on Chris O'Grady, who had taken a lot of attention from The Hatters' defence in the opening stages. Referee Mr Bates showed him the card, proving he wasn't such a smooth criminal.

Adam Rundle tested Shane Gore at his near post in the 17^th minute when his cross-cum-shot was beaten away for a throw-in with Chris O'Grady and Chris Dagnall lurking in the box.

The opening half-hour was all Dale, but the pressure coming from Keith Hill's side wasn't being turned into goals. Luton rarely made it into Dale's final third, but when called upon young Danny Taberner should nerves of steel and accomplished ball handling to give peace of mind to his defenders in-front of him. However, he had to show quick reactions when a short back-pass from Craig Dawson caused him problems as he raced out to clear the ball at the last second.

There was plenty of neat football coming from Dale in the build-up to half-time, but the initiative they had taken in the early stages of the game had just slipped, with Richard Money's side seeing slightly more of the ball. Gary Jones had a decent effort five minutes before half-time but his left-foot shot was dragged wide.

Dale continued with their good finish to the half and Adam Rundle forced a save from Shane Gore who tipped his left-footed effort around the post for a corner. From the resulting corner Dale's leading scorer Chris Dagnall had a header from close range which was header over the crossbar by Alan White off the line as he kept Luton level with half-time approaching.

The additional one minute of added time failed to produce anything spectacular and a half dominated by Dale came to a close with the score-line still at 0-0, which was slightly disappointing from Keith Hill's point of view considering the chances his side created.

Dale needed a good start to the second half just to settle any nerves there may have been and Chris Dagnall almost provided with a thunderous effort.He picked up the ball on the bounce around 40 yards out and after one touch to set it he smashed the ball goalwards and saw it bounce off the top of the bar and out for a goal-kick. It would have been one of the goals of the season so far had it dropped under the crossbar, but sadly for Dale it wasn't to be.

That effort must have seen Dagnall's confidence soar as he closed down Alan White before nicking the ball off him, but Shane Gore made a smart save when Dagnall was one-on-one at a tight angle to see the ball out for a corner.

The Dale fans inside Spotland must have been expecting pressure like they saw in the opening ten minutes of the first-half, but Richard Money's side had something to say about that. They won a corner which was whipped in to the far post, but missed anyone in orange in the area. However, it didn't miss Craig Dawson who played a one-two with the post as he tried to clear, but eventually doing as he intended after a rush of blood from all inside Spotland.

Dale responded to this with another attacking foray, this time through Adam Rundle. He picked up the ball on the right hand side before cutting inside onto his left and trying to curl a shot around Gore into the far corner. However, the North-Easterner's shot was a little high and wide and didn't trouble Gore.

Joe Thompson was the next Dale player to have a great chance to break the deadlock. A Tom Kennedy cross from deep was almost perfect for the winger from Cutgate, but Thompson's diving header and stretch of his neck wasn't enough to get on the end of Kennedy's fine cross.

The home side were really cranking up the pressure, but Luton goalkeeper Shane Gore was proving a tough cookie to crack as he denied Chris Dagnall for a second time in the half, just ten minutes into it. Dale's number nine managed to break free of Alan White and was one-on-one with Gore, but the former Wimbledon stopper made a smart stop with his legs.

A penalty shout for the home side was turned down by the referee when Joe Thompson's shot appeared to hit the arm of Ed Asafu-Adjaye, with Thompson convinced his side should have had a spot-kick.

However, with Dale seemingly having all the pressure, the non-league side provided a sucker punch. Tom Craddock carried the ball down the left before putting in a great cross for Kevin Gallen at the near post who managed to turn the ball past Danny Taberner inside his near post to give Luton a surprise lead on the hour mark.

Joe Thompson was replaced straight after the goal by Kallum Higginbotham. Five minutes later, Frenchman Marc Manga came on for Adam Rundle on the left.

Rory McArdle had a good chance from a Tom Kennedy corner, but his header from eight yards sailed over Shane Gore's crossbar.

The Luton goal seemed to have shocked Dale and the away side nearly doubled their lead in fine style. Good football between substitute Adam Newton, Kevin Gallen and Tom Craddock led to the latter swinging a ball in for Gallen, but his powerful header went just wide of Danny Taberner's left post.

Chris O'Grady tried to get Dale back into the game with 20 minutes left from long range, but his ambitious effort sailed well wide of the Luton goal.

Luton were coming more and more into the game, with more than a little help from the Dale defence. Tom Kennedy dallied with the ball on the edge of the box and was dispossessed by Kevin Gallen, but his shot was well blocked by Rory McArdle.

However, Luton did double their lead from the resulting corner. The ball was crossed in and missed everyone before George Pilkington nodded the ball back towards goal at the back post but was denied by a fine save from Taberner. However, the ball looped up into the air and dropped at Kevin Gallen who just had to run the ball into the goal to double his and Luton's tally for the night.

Keith Hill's side would now need another comeback of epic proportions, but this time his side had just twenty minutes to produce one. Skipper Gary Jones tried to lead the charge with a left-footed effort, but his shot was easily collected by Shane Gore. Rory McArdle had a headed effort ten minutes from time after a Jason Kennedy cross but the header went well wide of Luton's goal.

With time ticking away, Dale just couldn't produce anything, with only a Chris O'Grady blocked effort at the far post just into injury time and a weak Marc Manga header to show for their efforts.

The full-time whistle went to a disgruntled Spotland, as Dale failed to make it past the 1^st round for the third time in four years. All focus can be switched to the League now, starting with Chesterfield at Spotland on Saturday.

Dale: Taberner, McArdle, T Kennedy, Holness, Dawson, J Kennedy, Jones, Thompson, Rundle, O'Grady, Dagnall.

Luton: Gore, Asafu-Adjaye, Howells, White, Pilkington, Jarvis, Burgess, Hall, Nicholls, Gallen, Craddock.

Referee: Mr A Bates. Assistant Referees: Mr DJH England & Mr G Beswick. 4^th Official: Mr C Pawson.