The Youth Team came out on top of an eight goal thriller over Accrington Stanley in the EFL North West Youth Alliance League on Saturday.
After going behind inside the opening ten-minutes, goals from James Neild and Lewis Bradley put Dale in front.
However, two goals before half-time for the hosts saw them regain the lead heading into the interval.
Dale rallied at the beginning of the second period and were back in front almost instantly, with two goals in a minute from Fabio Tavares and Florent Hoti, before Bradley put the game to bed with his second and Dale’s fifth.
The hosts took the lead in the seventh minute when Harry Perritt finished at the back-post after the ball was worked across the edge of the Dale area.
Dale needed just five minutes to level, when Neild met a deep Hoti free-kick, sending a looping header back over the goalkeeper and in at the far post.
Tavares was denied by a superb defensive block after being played in by a delightful Toby Phillips through ball, before Bradley was denied by a fingertip save.
However, Bradley wasn’t to be denied moments later as he put Dale in front. Tavares was played through one-on-one by Hoti’s superbly timed pass, and he squared for Bradley who took a touch before firing into the empty net.
An end-to-end first-half continued when the hosts were awarded a penalty ten minutes before the break, which was despatched down the middle by Lewis Gilboy.
Stanley took the lead again in first-half added time, when a ball over the top was latched on to by Johnjo Morris and fired beyond Morgan Piper.
Dale came out fighting after half-time and retook the lead within four minutes of the restart.
Bradley’s cushioned ball found Tavares who took a touch before lifting the ball over the goalkeeper to pull Dale level, before Hoti rounded off a fine team move shortly afterwards.
After 16 successful passes, Hoti exchanged a clever one-two with Tavares and finished first-time into the bottom corner to put Dale ahead.
Hoti was then inches away from his second when he curled an effort from 20-yards off the crossbar, before Dale made sure of the points inside the final 20 minutes.
Joe Dunne drove down the left side and cut a low ball back for Bradley, who finished first-time for his 17th of the season.