Dale earned a valuable point and clean sheet away from home, drawing 0-0 with Blackpool at Bloomfield Road.

Josh Lillis made a good stop to deny Sessi D’Almeida early on in an even first half, before Dale had the better of matters after the break.

Joe Bunney had a cross cleared from underneath the crossbar, before Ryan Allsop produced a stunning save to deny Ian Henderson late on.

Keith Hill made two changes to the side from Saturday’s 3-0 win over Gillingham. Donervon Daniels and Jordan Williams replaced Joe Rafferty and Steven Davies.

In a relatively even but quiet first half, the best chance fell to the hosts just eleven minutes in. After Sean Longstaff fired wide of the near post from outside the area, D’Almeida could have broken the deadlock.

He dispossessed Harrison McGahey on the edge of his own area and drove at goal, where Lillis denied him with a one-on-one stop.

Dale’s first real effort came when Jordan Williams met Bunney’s left wing cross, but he could only send his header high over the crossbar.

Callum Cooke saw an effort from distance turned behind by Lillis, and from the resulting corner Curtis Tilt headed over from a central position just eight yards out.

Dale began to create opportunities of their own midway through the half, and Ian Henderson saw a stooping header held by Allsop from Ollie Rathbone’s cross, before the Blackpool stopper held on well to a deflected Rathbone effort.

Henderson then saw a curling effort comfortably held, before he laid the ball off well to Bradden Inman who curled wide of the far post.

Keith Hill’s men came out the stronger of the two sides after the break, and after Calvin Andrew replaced Jordan Williams just before the hour mark, they created a number of chances.

Henderson saw a curling effort fly just wide of the near post, before Rathbone’s deflected effort from outside the area with his left foot went behind for a corner.

Dale were inches away from taking the lead when Joe Bunney’s chipped cross from the right was headed off the line, before the hosts came close to taking the lead themselves.

Longstaff’s low ball from the left went all the way across the face of the goal, where Viv Solomon-Otabor sent the ball wide on the slide.

Bunney’s low and powerful free-kick was well held by Allsop, and Longstaff’s long range effort flew narrowly over, as both sides pushed on to try and find a winning goal.

Inman was replaced by Matty Done with ten minutes remaining, and Steven Davies came on for Rathbone three minutes later.

Perhaps Dale’s best chances came three minutes from time. M.J. Williams’ lay off to Henderson allowed the Dale skipper to curl a left foot effort to the far post first time, only to be denied by a superb diving save from Allsop who clawed the ball away from the top corner.

The resulting corner was only partially cleared away, allowing Andrew to send a cross back into the area. Davies met it, but headed over the crossbar when he should have done better.

Longstaff tried an ambitious free-kick in added time that nearly paid off. He saw Lillis off his line and from around 50-yards, tried to lob the Dale stopper, but the effort flew just over in what proved to be the final act of the match.