Rochdale came from behind to secure a point at home to Tranmere Rovers on Tuesday night.

Dale had been 2-0 down, but goals from Danny Lloyd and Ethan Ebanks-Landell ensured a draw at the Crown Oil Arena. Lloyd halved the deficit in the 69th minute, while Ebanks-Landell netted deep in stoppage time to level proceedings. 

There was one change from the weekend’s game against Bradford City, as Owen Dodgson came in for Toby Mullarkey. 

Rochdale enjoyed the majority of the ball during the opening exchanges, but neither they or Tranmere Rovers could carve out an opportunity. 

The visitors did, however, break the deadlock in the 19th minute through an own goal, as Liam Kelly's backpass went under Richard O'Donnell's foot. 

Rovers’ Harvey Saunders, on the half hour, was denied by O’Donnell, who kept out his point blank header. 

Rochdale were denied by the woodwork soon after. Kelly’s free-kick was nodded onto the bar by Ian Henderson, while Mateusz Hewelt held Ebanks-Landell’s header on the rebound. 

O’Donnell then produced two fine saves in as many minutes. He firstly made a good stop down to his left to turn away Rhys Hughes’ 20-yard strike, before diving to his right to get two hands behind Saunders’ deflected effort. 

In stoppage time, Saunders struck over on the angle. 

Dale started the second half brightly and Jordan Turnbull threw himself behind Kelly’s shot from inside the area five minutes after the re-start, to divert it behind.

But Tranmere Rovers doubled their advantage with a contentious penalty soon after, in the 54th minute. Jimmy Keohane was adjudged to have brought down Saunders despite protests that he had won the ball, and Hawkes struck home from the spot, finding the bottom corner. 

Rochdale’s first substitution of the game followed, with Devante Rodney replacing Abraham Odoh. 

After Kelly had initially struck the Rovers wall with a free-kick from 25-yards, the ball came out as far as Ethan Brierley who saw his thunderous effort from range kept out by Hewelt. 

Substitute Rodney then showed great strength to force his way over the halfway line before playing in Lloyd who sent a dipping effort over the bar from outside the area. 

Dale continued in search of a goal and they halved the deficit in the 69th minute, when Lloyd found the bottom corner from 20-yards. 

Hawkes then harmlessly sent an effort over the bar, while Keohane had a shot held by the goalkeeper. 

Soon after, Lloyd did superbly well to turn his marker on the edge of the area but his strike was always rising. 

A second change came with 79 minutes on the clock, as Keohane made way for Tyrese Sinclair.

O’Donnell, then, kept out Hawkes with his legs, after the midfielder had got through one-on-one with him.

Up the other end, Max Taylor had a couple of opportunities late on. He firstly sent a powerful effort narrowly wide, before heading over from a corner. 

Deep in stoppage time, Ebanks-Landell ensured Dale would secure a point. He met Lloyd’s corner, heading it down and into the ground and beyond Hewelt to make it 2-2.