Dale came from two goals down to secure a 3-3 draw at Scunthorpe United, extending their unbeaten start away from home in Sky Bet League One.

Keith Hill’s men were behind inside two minutes through Lee Novak’s header, before Ryan Colcough doubled the lead 16 minutes later.

Ollie Rathbone pulled a goal back shortly after the break, but Scunthorpe doubled their lead little over a minute later through Charlie Goode.

Rathbone again halved the deficit midway through the second-half and Matty Gillam grabbed an equaliser with six minutes remaining.

Dale piled on the pressure in the remaining minutes, but couldn’t quite find a dramatic winner.

There were six changes from Tuesday night’s Checkatrade Trophy win over Bury. Joe Rafferty, Calvin Andrew, Callum Camps, Andy Cannon, Ian Henderson and Sam Hart, making his second Dale debut after returning on-loan last month, all came into the starting line-up.

Matty Gillam, scorer against Bury, and Luke Matheson, who became Dale’s youngest ever debutant in the win, were on the substitutes’ bench.

The opening goal came from the first chance of the game, just two minutes in. Josh Morris’ free-kick was glanced in at the far post by Novak to give Scunthorpe the lead.

Dale responded well and had chances when Rathbone and Andrew both sent chances wide, the former turning and firing from 20-yards whilst Andrew drove wide when Jak Alnwick spilt Hart’s cross.

Colcough dragged a left-foot shot wide of the near post four minutes before he doubled their lead.

A short corner was played to him and he took the ball across the edge of the area, before firing past Magnus Norman with his left-foot.

Dale had shouts for a penalty waved away when Cannon was brought down following Henderson’s back-post knockdown, before Gillam replaced Zach Clough, who had been booked earlier, just after the half hour mark.

Camps had a low free-kick well saved by Alnwick from a yard outside the area, before the Scunthorpe goalkeeper then bravely blocked efforts from Hart and Henderson as the first-half came to a close.

Rathbone saw an effort turned over the bar five minutes into the second-half, before he halved the deficit two minutes later.

Hart’s free-kick from just outside the area was beaten away by Alnwick, but only as far as Rathbone who turned the rebound home at the near post.

However, the home side restored their two goal cushion little more than a minute later. Morris’ free-kick from the left was met by the stooping head of Goode, who directed the ball past Norman.

Aaron Wilbraham replaced Cannon shortly before the hour mark, as Colclough saw an effort well held by Dale goalkeeper Norman.

Rathbone fired an effort off target and saw another deflected behind for a corner before he halved Dale’s deficit again.

A corner was cleared as far as the Dale man and he smartly turned onto his left foot before firing a powerful effort beyond Alnwick.

The Dale goalscorer then had an almost identical effort at goal saved by Alnwick from the edge of the area, before Rafferty fired a strike well off target.

Colcough had an effort deflected over for the home side before Gillam also saw an effort blocked behind.

James Perch then turned over Colcough’s cross and Henderson scuffed an effort into the arms of Alnwick, before Dale grabbed a deserved equaliser.

Camps header forward in the middle of the park dropped for Gillam who ran at the retreating Scunthorpe defence, before firing an effort goalwards which deflected off a defender and looped over Alnwick into the top corner of the net.

With the sides level, there was only one team that looked like they were going to grab a winner, as Dale piled on the pressure.

Hart saw an effort defelcted over the crossbar, but the best chance fell to substitute Wilbraham. Hart did superbly to ride a couple of challenges and drive forward, before squaring a ball which was left for Wilbraham by Andrew, but the experienced forward fired over from the edge of the area.

Former Dale loanee Stephen Humphrys came on for the hosts and fired well off target, as Dale couldn’t find create a chance in the closing moments that would secure all three points.