Dale were beaten 4-1 at home by Harrogate Town on Saturday.

James Ball had given Dale an early lead, but George Thomson equalised less than ten minutes later.

Two goals from Luke Armstrong and one from Sam Folarin after the break saw the visitors take all three points.

Jim Bentley named an unchanged starting eleven from the game at Sutton United a fortnight ago, with just one change on the bench, as Rayhaan Tulloch replaced Jordan Scanlon.

The visitors had the first sights of goal, as Danny Grant saw an effort well blocked by Ethan Ebanks-Landell, before Jaheim Headley dragged a shot wide of the far post.

It was Dale who broke the deadlock though, when Ball stuck out a leg to divert John’s near post corner over the head of Harrogate goalkeeper Pete Jameson.

However, the lead would be short-lived. Seven minutes later, Thomson’s strike from distance nestled in the bottom corner to level for the visitors.

Grant fired a couple of efforts off target for Harrogate, before Ethan Brierley had a shot from 20-yards well blocked by a defender.

Ball and Abraham Odoh then linked up well on the edge of the visitors’ area, with the latter seeing a shot well saved by the goalkeeper.

Ian Henderson came a whisker away from giving Dale the lead in added time, when his near post header came back off the face of the crossbar.

After the break, two goals in five minutes from Armstrong took the game away from Dale.

First, he converted from the edge of the six-yard box when a low ball in from the left came to him at the back post.

Then, he was on hand just inches out, turning home a ball across from the right after a set-piece had been taken short.

Dale made changes, as Tyrese Sinclair, Devante Rodney, Connor Malley and Femi Seriki all came off the bench midway through the second period.

But Harrogate added a fourth moments later, when Folarin tapped in on the line after Toumani Diagouraga’s diverted a cross onto the upright, which fell kindly for the goalscorer.

Dale pushed forward looking for a way back into the game, with Scott Quigley seeing a shot deflected wide and Malley having an effort well blocked, as Harrogate ran out 4-1 winners.