Rochdale secured a point from a 1-1 draw with Newport County, in the first home game of 2023.

Devante Rodney gave Dale a deserved first half lead, but Adam Lewis’ goal, a minute into the second half, ensured a share of the points at the Crown Oil Arena. 

Manager Jim Bentley named an unchanged eleven for the game, however there were a couple of changes on the bench. Max Taylor and Tahvon Campbell returned to the squad, coming in for Ben Nelson who has returned to his parent club and Cameron John. 

Rochdale set the tone for the half with a positive start to the game, and asked the majority of the questions throughtout the half. 

Inside the opening sixty seconds, James Ball drove into the area and found Rodney despite going down under a challenge, but Rodney’s effort was straight at goalkeeper Joe Day. 

Liam Kelly then threaded an inch perfect pass into the feet of Danny Lloyd, who saw his curling effort held. 

A couple of minutes later there were shouts for a Dale penalty when Ethan Ebanks-Landell was pushed to the ground as a corner came in, but the referee was quick to wave away the appeals. 

Up the other end, the Exiles came close to breaking the deadlock in the 13th minute, against the run of play. Omar Bogle rose highest to meet a ball in from the left and powered a header at goal, only to be denied on the line by Sam Graham. 

Still Rochdale came forward, with Lloyd involved again. He superbly intercepted a pass on the halfway line before driving forward up the right and finding Femi Seriki who in turned played in Kelly. The midfielder went for goal, with his shot from 20-yards flying narrowly over the bar. 

Lloyd then, after cutting inside, sent a thunderous strike at goal, which was headed away by Mickey Demetriou.

And Dale’s deserved opener finally came in the 34th minute. Lloyd broke forward over the halfway line and interchanged passes with Kelly and Ball, before finding Rodney. The Rochdale forward took a touch and stepped inside before firing home from just outside the area to break the deadlock. 

A minute later Rochdale were in again and had an opportunity to double their advantage, but after being played through by Lloyd, Kelly fired over the bar as the goal gaped before him with only the ‘keeper to beat. 

Lloyd had a shot from range held by Day, before half-time. 

Newport County levelled proceedings a minute into the second half, when a Lewis free-kick, which was sent into the area, went all the way through and in at the back post. 

After the goal, the opening exchanges were a relatively scrappy affair, with limited chances for either side. 

But most notably, shortly before the hour mark, Dale were kept out by a superb Day save. After Kelly swung a free-kick in towards the near post, Rodney got on the end of it but saw his point-blank header brilliantly clawed away. 

A couple of Rochdale substitutions followed in the 69th minute, with Toumani Diagouraga and Ian Henderson replacing Ball and Scott Quigley. Another change came 10 minutes later, as Kelly made way for Abraham Odoh. 

Dale had the ball in the back of the net through Henderson but his header was ruled out form offside. Lloyd had seen a dipping free-kick palmed wide by Day, and after the corner was initially cleared, the ball was sent back in by Rodney and Hendo headed home at the back post, only to see the flag go up. 

Six minutes from time, O’Donnell pulled off a superb save to keep out Cameron Norman, getting down low to turn his effort round the upright. 

A further two substitutions followed in the 88th minute, as Tyrese Sinclair and Tahvon Campbell came on for Rodney and Lloyd. 

Sinclair had a shot blocked on the edge of the area in stoppage time, as the sides shared the spoils at the Crow Oil Arena.