Rochdale were beaten 5-4 on penalties by Stoke City Under-21s in the Checkatrade Trophy, after a goalless 90 minutes.

Thomas Edwards saw red for the visitors after handling on the line, but MJ Williams saw the resulting spot-kick saved. 

Dale had all of the possession in the second half but couldn’t find a way through a stubborn Stoke defence, and the game headed to penalties.

Ollie Rathbone sent a penalty over the crossbar, which allowed Oliver Shenton to convert the winning penalty.

Keith Hill’s men still earned a point from the match, which keeps them at the top of Group C.

The visitors named a strong side for the match, featuring five first team players in their starting eleven.

16-year-old Daniel Adshead, who made his Dale debut in the last group stage game, was again picked to start in the competition, and he produced the first attempt on goal, driving an effort wide of the target.

With a quarter of an hour played, Jordan Slew, who made his first start for Keith Hill’s side since joining on a short-term deal last month, came close to opening the scoring, after a flowing move forward by Rochdale. The striker lost his marker with a brilliant turn, and after getting to the byline, he saw his deflected effort across goal travel just wide of the upright.

A short time later, a brilliant passage of play, which was full of intricate passing, resulted in Adshead curling an effort just inches wide of the post.

Rochdale were then awarded a penalty, as the Potters were reduced to ten men. From a Dale corner, Slew’s header was kept out on the line by Thomas Edwards’ arm, who received a straight red car. Jakob Haugaard dived the right way to turn M.J Williams’s spot-kick round the upright, and prevent Dale from breaking the deadlock.

Shortly before the half hour mark, the visitors had their first effort on goal, with Julien Ngoy sending an overhead-kick over the bar.

Moments later, and shouts for a second Dale penalty were quickly waved away by the referee after Bradden Inman went to ground.

Before the half was out, Tyrese Campbell rattled an effort wide of the target from 25-yards withouth troubling, while Mark Kitching saw his strike from inside the area blocked at source by Charlie Adam.

HT: ROCHDALE 0-0 STOKE CITY U21

The second half continued in the same vein as the first, with Dale dominating and creating all of the chances.

Kitching drew a save from Haugaard with an effort from 20-yards, before the visitors blocked a shot from M.J. Williams on the line after he’d latched onto the end of a Rathbone corner to the back post.

Some great link up play between Bunney, Inman and Slew up the left resulted in Kitching fizzing an effort wide of the post a short time later.

The Stoke goalkeeper was called into action again, this time denying Ntlhe, who struck a dipping effort at goal after a sustained period of pressure.

Rochdale had the ball in the back of the net 70 minutes into the game, when Done turned the ball over the line from a driven delivery across goal by Bunney, but the goal was ruled out for offside.

A double Dale switch followed soon after, as Calvin Andrew and Jordan Williams replaced Bunney and Inman.

Rochdale continued on top, but as Stoke defended with every man behind the ball, they stood strong against wave after wave of Dale attack and proved to be very stubborn.

Although, Rochdale did come within inches of three points in stoppage time when Rathbone struck an effort just wide of the post, while Haugaard tipped a Kitching effort from a corner round the upright.

The match headed to penalties, as the new ABBA system was trialled. Souttar and Done both missed in the first five penalties, before McJannet and Jordan Williams were both denied by excellent saves in sudden death. Rathbone followed those two and sent his penalty over, which proved vital as Shenton fired under Moore to seal the extra point for the visitors.