Rochdale fell to a 4-1 defeat at home to league leaders Wigan Athletic on Tuesday night.

A first half goal from Dan Burn put the Tics a goal up, before James Vaughan, Michael Jacobs and Will Grigg netted during an eight-minute spell in the second half. Steven Davies reduced the deficit from the penalty spot late in the game.

The visitors opened the scoring in the 17^th minute, when Dan Burn found the net from a corner ball.

The set-piece was sent deep into the area and won by Chey Dunkley, who headed back across goal, for the towering defender to nod home from close range.

Earlier in the game before the goal, Wigan rightly had a penalty turned down, when Max Power, who under pressure, took a clean-air swipe at the ball and went to ground. And in the first effort of the half, Josh Lillis well-held a stooping header from Burn, who’d got on the end of a Power free-kick. 

Rochdale responded superbly well to going behind and took the game to the opposition. And they came within inches of an equaliser just two minutes after the Wigan goal, when Calvin Andrew headed narrowly wide of the target.

A Dale substitution followed immediately after, with Steven Davies replacing Stephen Humphrys.

Rochdale were in the ascendancy when Done got on the end of a Bradden Inman corner and headed just wide.

But Wigan have scored an impressive 81 goals this season, so there was no denying their attacking threat, and they came close to doubling their advantage on two occasions in the 24^th minute. Harrison McGahey firstly threw himself in the way of a powerful Michael Jacobs shot, before Powell saw his follow up effort come crashing off the inside of the post.

Dale were also denied by the woodwork, with Rafferty’s glancing header at the near post from a corner kept out by the bar, a short time later.

Rochdale looked the most likely to grab an equaliser, as they continued cause problems for the league leaders. Camps struck just wide, before Done capitalised on a short back pass and stole in on goal, but after as he tried to round Christian Walton, the Latics ‘keeper got down to smother.

Before the half was out, Lillis pulled off an excellent save to tip a speculative Nathan Byrne effort over the bar.

HT | ROCHDALE 0-1 WIGAN ATHLETIC  

Wigan doubled their advantage ten minutes into the second half, when substitute James Vaughan, who’d replaced Nick Powell during stoppage time in the first half, was sent through one-on-one with Lillis and finished beyond the Dale goalkeeper.

After the goal, Manager Keith Hill made a double change, with Ryan Delaney and Alex Dobre replacing Jim McNulty and Ollie Rathbone, respectively.

But it was the visitors went on to score another two in quick succession, two minutes apart.

Byrne picked out Jacobs, who made it three with a powerful strike from the edge of the area, before Will Grigg added a fourth. Gavin Massey had an initial shot saved by Lillis and the in form Grigg nipped in to finish from close range.

In between the goals, Rochdale did have an opportunity to pull one back when Inman got to the byline and delivered a dangerous low ball to the back post, but Davies, who came sliding in, couldn’t make a connection.

Dale got a deserved goal late in the game, though, when Davies converted from the penalty spot, after Andrew had been tripped inside the area. The striker left Walton with no chance, as he fired into the roof of the net.

Before the game was out, Dobre found space with some quick feet and sent a strike wide of the target from distance, while Inman saw the side netting ripple as he flashed an effort within inches of the target in the last opportunity of the game.

FT | ROCHDALE 1-4 WIGAN ATHLETIC