Dale were held to a 2-2 at home to Gateshead on Tuesday night.

Goals from Jesurun Uchegbulam and Ian Henderson had Dale 2-0 up at the break, but the visitors clawed it back in the second-half through Ed Francis and Kenton Richardson.

Jimmy McNulty made four changes to the side from Saturday’s game. Ethan Ebanks-Landell returned from suspension, whilst Jesurun Uchegbulam, Kwaku Oduroh and Ian Henderson all started.

Max Taylor and Adam Clayton dropped to the bench, whilst the injured Kyle Ferguson and Tyrese Sinclair missed out entirely.

It was a lively start to proceedings, with both sides looking threatening throughout the first-half, but it was Dale who created the better of the chances.

Kairo Mitchell fired a shot narrowly wide on the turn, after being found by Henderson on the edge of the area.

Cian Hayes produced a fine run down the right before cutting into the area and having a shot saved, with Henderson hitting the follow-up narrowly over the bar.

It took just 16 minutes for the opener, when Uchegbulam netted his first Dale goal in fashion. Hayes fed a ball into the area that Jimmy Keohane picked up, laying off to the Dale winger, who sent a curling effort into the top corner at pace, leaving goalkeeper Archie Mair with no chance.

A couple of well-timed tackles from Harvey Gilmour and George Nevett prevented Greg Olley from getting a shot away inside the Dale area, before Louie Moulden saved Ed Francis’ free-kick down low.

Dale doubled the lead just before the half hour mark, with a header from Henderson. Ebanks-Landell sent a great ball over the top for Mitchell to run on to, who saw a shot saved by Mair. He could only parry the ball centrally, where Henderson came steaming on to it, leaping highest to power a header home.

Gateshead possessed the National League’s joint-top goalscorer heading into the game, and it was Marcus Dinanga who almost got one back for the visitors, powering a header off the underside of the bar.

Mitchell and Hayes both saw shots blocked before the break, whilst just after the interval, Henderson nodded a Ryan East free-kick just wide.

Gilmour hit a first-time effort over from 20-yards, before the visitors pulled one back through Francis’ fine strike into the top corner from outside the area.

The visitors could have equalised shortly afterwards too, with Moulden denying Olley’s long-range efforts then producing a fine one-handed save to divert Dinanga’s one-on-one effort away from goal.

However, he couldn’t prevent Richardson’s equaliser, a low shot from just outside the area, midway through the second-half.

Both sides went in pursuit of a winner, with Uchegbulam twice coming close for Dale, having one effort saved and another narrowly over after cutting in from the left side.

However, neither side could find a fifth goal of the game, and the spoils were shared.

Dale XI | Moulden, Oduroh, Ebanks-Landell ©, Nevett, Keohane, East, Gilmour, Uchegbulam, Hayes (86' Clayton), Henderson, Mitchell.

Unused subs | B Kelly, Taylor, McDermott, Afuye.