Dale suffered a 3-2 defeat on the road at Woking on Tuesday night.

Tyrese Sinclair had put the visitors ahead early on, but the Cardinals responded after the break with a goal from Scott Cuthbert and two from Reece Grego-Cox to go 3-1 up.

Kairo Mitchell scored his first goal for the club to reduce the arrears, but Dale couldn’t find another to rescue a point.

Jimmy McNulty made four changes from the team that started Saturday’s 1-0 win over Oxford City.

He handed debuts to Kyle Ferguson and Monday’s signing Ryan East, as well as giving first starts to Kwaku Oduroh and Jesurun Uchegbulam.

Post-match, McNulty confirmed that Ian Henderson, match-winner on Saturday, wasn't fit to start due to an ankle injury, whilst Tommy McDermott also missed out due to injury.

It was even opening to the game with no real chances for either side until the opening goal, in the 15^th minute.

An overhit Woking through ball was thumped forward by goalkeeper Louie Moulden, clearing all 20 outfield players. Home stopper Joe Day misjudged it, allowing Sinclair to use his pace to burst past him and slot home first time from a tight angle.

At the other end, minutes after the goal, Jimmy Keohane had to be alert to make a great clearance with Cardinals striker Padraig Amond lurking, shortly before debutant East had a shot blocked which trickled into the arms of the goalkeeper.

Uchegbulam was causing the Woking defence issues with his pace and trickery as Dale took the lead into the break.

The hosts came out of the blocks quickly in the second-half, aided by a double half-time change, one of which Grego-Cox had a couple of efforts off target.

They got themselves level nine minutes after the break when Cuthbert managed to squirm an effort over the line, despite the best efforts of Moulden.

Oduroh had a shot well blocked for Dale, whilst Jim Kellermann fired a couple of efforts off target from distance.

Keohane was then involved in incidents at either end of the pitch minutes apart, first heading over Oduroh’s cross after a fine team move from the back got Dale in, before he was adjudged to have handled a Woking cross inside the area.

Grego-Cox stepped up to convert the resulting penalty.

Dale were almost back level instantly when Mitchell squared for Harvey Gilmour, whose flick went narrowly wide of the far post.

The hosts extended their advantage in the final ten minutes when, with Dale down to ten men after Ferguson required treatment, Grego-Cox converted a cross from the left.

Mitchell brought Dale back within one almost instantly, when he was found by a superb Adam Clayton pass and finished coolly underneath the goalkeeper.

Dale pushed and substitute Ian Henderson was found inside the area by Gilmour, squaring into a dangerous area, but there was no one there to meet it from a Dale persuasion.

It proved to be the last action of the game, as Dale returned home with nothing.

Dale XI | Moulden, Oduroh, Ferguson (90’ Nevett), Ebanks-Landell, Keohane, Clayton, East (85’ Henderson), Gilmour, Sinclair, Uchegbulam (77’ Afuye), Mitchell.

Subs | John, Nevett, Afuye, Shubbar, Henderson.