The Youth Team secured their ninth consecutive victory with a 2-0 win over Morecambe on Saturday.
Brad Wade saved a Morecambe penalty in the first-half to keep the scores level, before James Neild and an Aaron Morley penalty sealed the three points.
Neil Kuemo tested the goalkeeper early on, when his low drive was turned around the far post, before Fabio Tavares drove into the side netting after good interplay between Dan Adshead and Florent Hoti.
Tavares was then inches away from getting on the end of a Kuemo cross, whilst Hoti saw a deflected effort collected by the goalkeeper.
The big moment of the first-half fell the home side’s way, when Luke Matheson was deemed to have upended a Morecambe forward inside the area. However, Wade dived to his left and managed to turn the ball wide of goal.
A quiet end to the opening period meant the sides went in goalless at the break, but within 15 minutes of the restart Dale had taken the lead.
After whipping a free-kick just wide of the target, Morley sent a teasing corner into the six-yard area where Neild turned home for his sixth of the season.
Adshead sent an effort straight at the goalkeeper after Tavares had intercepted a loose backpass and found his teammate, before Hoti’s cross was deflected against the crossbar by a Morecambe defender.
The lead was doubled from the penalty spot in the 72nd minute when Harrison Hopper was bundled over as he tried to get on the end of a Kuemo cross. Morley stepped up and sent the goalkeeper the wrong way.
He then forced the Morecambe stopper into a low save to his right from a well struck free-kick.
Under-15s Academy player Tom Claxton replaced Tavares for his Youth Team debut, as Dale comfortably saw out their two goal advantage, remaining six points behind leaders Wigan Athletic with three games in hand.