A 95^th minute penalty from Joe Pigott saw Dale beaten 4-3 by AFC Wimbledon at the Crown Oil Arena.

Ethan Ebanks-Landell had given Dale the lead inside the opening two minutes, before Pigott levelled shortly before the half hour mark.

However, Ethan Hamilton’s third Dale goal put Keith Hill’s men back in front just a minute later.

Pigott scored his second of the night within a minute of the start of the second period, before Anthony Wordsworth put the Dons in front with 14 minutes remaining.

Ian Henderson levelled five minutes later, but when the visitors were awarded a penalty in the fifth minute of stoppage time, Pigott notched his hat-trick to secure three points for the visitors.

Dale broke the deadlock inside the opening two minutes, as Ebanks-Landell doubled his Dale tally.

Joe Bunney whipped in a dangerous free-kick from the left, which bounced between the AFC Wimbledon defence and goalkeeper, allowing the on-loan Wolves defender to turn home at the back-post.

Done and Hamilton showed great link-up play before the former’s cross was a touch too high for the Manchester United loanee, who could only head upwards and off target.

The visitors’ first real chance of the game came midway through the half, when Anthony Wordsworth cannoned a well-struck volley off the inside of the post from 20-yards out.

Moments later, captain Ian Henderson had a chance to double Dale’s lead, firing wide first time after Stephen Dooley’s superb jinking run and through ball.

At the other end, Pigott fired wide from distance, but it proved to be a good sighter as he levelled matters a minute later, firing in at the near post from the left side of the area.

However, Dale restored their lead almost instantly. Hamilton found himself on the edge of the area with his back to goal, turned onto his left foot and fired a dipping effort beyond Aaron Ramsdale at the near post.

Rekeil Pyke saw an effort delfected wide from outside the area, before Dale had Andy Lonergan to thank for keeping them in front at half-time.

Firstly, he stayed big to save a one-on-one from Pigott who had done well to turn inside the area, before making two fine saves on his line.

A corner was headed goalwards at the back-post Rod McDonald, with the goalkeeper scrambling to his near post to deny him with his chest.

Then, the following corner was turned towards goal at the back-post, with Lonergan making a fine one-handed save, before a goalmouth scramble was ended by the half-time whistle.

However, there was nothing he could do prevent the visitors equalising inside the opening minute of the second-half, when Pigott turned home a right-wing cross from a central position.

Bunney saw a cross beaten wide by Ramsdale before he fired a shot over at the near post after latching on to a through ball.

Pyke had a great chance when he was played through one-on-one by Done, but poked his effort straight at Ramsdale who came out of his goal quickly.

Ebanks-Landell did well to turn over an effort from Pigott at the back-post, before Done saw a low shot beaten behind at the near post from Hamilton’s through ball.

Steve Seddon dragged an effort wide of the far post, before the Dons took the lead for the first time in the game when Wordsworth latched onto a flicked through ball, finishing one-on-one beyond Lonergan.

Their lead lasted just five minutes, as Dale restored parity through Henderson with nine minutes remaining. Done broke well and fired a low effort at goal which was well parried, but only for Dale’s leading scorer to turn home from close range.

Hamilton fired a right-foot effort over, before sending a crisp effort from a free-kick wide.

Some superb last-ditch blocks and challenges from Dale defenders denied a number of efforts from the visitors, but they had the opportunity to level when Steve Seddon was brought down in the area.

Pigott stepped up, and fired low into the bottom corner, despite Lonergan guessing the right way, to wrap up all three points for the Dons.