Dale suffered a 1-0 defeat at Grimsby Town on Saturday.

Gavin Lloyd’s 68^th minute goal was the difference, as Dale slipped to five points from safety.

Jim Bentley named an unchanged starting 11 and bench, following last weekend’s 2-0 win over promotion chasing Stevenage.

It was a quiet start to proceedings, with neither side creating an opening in the first 15 minutes.

The first chance of the game fell Dale’s way, when Ethan Brierley’s free-kick was met by the head of Ethan Ebanks-Landell, but he flicked his header over.

Michee Efete fashioned the hosts’ first effort, dragging a left foot shot wide of the near post from inside the area.

After the half hour mark, Dale created a flurry of chances within a two-minute period.

First, Abraham Odoh’s low ball was turned goalwards by Jimmy Keohane, only to be blocked by a Grimsby body.

Devante Rodney then saw a shot cleared off the line and behind for a corner, after latching on to a through ball and rounding the goalkeeper.

From the resulting set piece, Keohane saw another effort cleared off the line, when his thumping header from Brierley’s delivery looked to be goalbound.

Toby Mullarkey curled a first-time effort wide of the far post, whilst Otis Khan and George Lloyd both saw efforts fly off target.

After the break, Dale thought they had a great shout for a penalty, when Mullarkey was upended in the area, but the referee disagreed.

Rodney then raced on to Odoh’s through ball but saw an effort saved, before firing another shot well off target from 25-yards.

The winning goal came midway through the second period, when a long ball over the top was met by Lloyd, who lifted the ball over Richard O’Donnell.

Otis Khan fired an effort target and Ebanks-Landell headed Lloyd’s effort off the line, before O’Donnell saved from Danilo Orsi.

In added time, substitute Ian Henderson met a corner at the back post, seeing his header cleared, with Brierley’s follow up sailing over the bar, in what was the final chance Dale created.

Dale XI | O’Donnell, Mullarkey, Ebanks-Landell, Taylor, Odoh, Brierley, Keohane, Dodgson, Lloyd, Quigley, Rodney.

Subs | Eastwood, Seriki, L Kelly, Mellor, Bennett, Diagouraga, Henderson.