Dale are through to second round of the Capital One Cup after a victory on penalties over Coventry City at Spotland.
Donal McDermott gave Dale the lead on the stroke of half-time with a wonderful long range strike.
It stayed at 1-0 until five minutes remaining, when Marcus Tudgay turned a cross home to send the game into extra-time.
It stayed that way all the way until the end of extra time. Seven penalties were scored, but when Rueben Lameiras missed, Calvin Andrew stepped up to slot home the deciding penalty.
Keith Hill made just one change from Saturday’s winning team, with Joe Rafferty coming in for Andy Cannon at right back. Josh Lillis was in goal, with Rafferty, Oliver Lancashire, Jimmy McNulty and Tom Kennedy at the back. Jamie Allen Captained the side from the deep midfield role, with Callum Camps and Donal McDermott ahead of him. Joe Bunney and Peter Vincenti were wide, with Ian Henderson up front.
Dale were comfortable on top in the first 25 minutes, but didn’t manage to test Reice Charles-Cook in the Coventry goal. Allen shot well over from distance early on, whilst Vincenti’s looping header from McDermott’s cross landed on the roof of the net.
McDermott, who was impressive again in a central midfield role, was provider again as he found Bunney with a low ball from the left which was turned over the bar.
The summer signing from Ramsbottom was also delivering some menacing set-pieces. Two in quick succession were headed just wide, Vincenti and Henderson guilty of missing the target.
The visitors came close to making Dale regret those missed chances on a couple of occasions. Brynn Morris found Tudgay with a fine cross, which the striker headed powerfully straight at Lillis. The experienced Tudgay was lively throughout but Dale’s defence kept him at bay with some solid defending.
Lillis had to be alert again just after the half hour mark when a Sam Ricketts free kick flashed through the wall and into his arms.
Those saves proved important, as Dale would take a well-deserved lead into the break thanks to a stunner from that man McDermott. He had already had an effort deflected and superbly tipped round the post, but Coventry didn’t heed the warning and were punished.
The former Huddersfield man received the ball on the right from Camps and cut back onto his left foot. With the defence standing off him, he unleashed an effort which flew over Charles-Cook and dipped into the far top corner to give Dale the lead.
Keith Hill made a change at the break, with Calvin Andrew coming on for Bunney. It also saw a shift in formation, with Camps dropping alongside Allen in midfield, McDermott moving wide and Henderson dropping into the hole.
The sides traded long range efforts early on, with John Fleck firing just wide of Lillis’ left post and Vincenti curling one comfortably over the crossbar for Dale.
Andrew’s tireless work since his introduction meant the Coventry defence never had a moment’s peace. His hard work led to a low cross to Henderson whose flick was deflected out for a corner.
Reuben Noble-Lazarus was introduced for the tiring McDermott just after the hour mark as Dale looked for the important second goal.
Rueben Lameiras’ good footwork for the visitors opened up space for him cutting in from the right, but his shot was awful and well high and wide of Lillis’ goal.
The second half was more about Dale holding the visitors at bay and keeping their shape. Lillis was called into action though with under ten minutes to go, when substitute James Maddison showed good footwork to jink past a couple of Dale defenders, but his shot was straight at Lillis before being scrambled away for a corner.
However, Lillis was beaten with five minutes of normal time remaining. Another substitute George Thomas got behind Dale on the left and sent a low ball across to Tudgay, who flicked it into the bottom corner with an outstretched leg.
It was a goal that would eventually send the game into extra-time, with Lillis making sure it did by denying Maddison in the final minute of stoppage time with a good stop low to his left.
Michael Rose was brought on for Camps six minutes into extra time, with Allen moving higher up the pitch.
minute of play. Lameiras then saw a low left foot effort skid wide.thCoventry goalscorer Tudgay sent an effort horribly high and wide after a good pull back from Lameiras in the 99
It was Dale who twice came close to taking a lead into the turnaround halfway through extra time. First, Henderson’s cross was glanced on by Allen, with Charles-Cook almost making a hash of it but collecting before it had crossed the line. Then it was roles reversed as Allen crossed superbly for Henderson, but his header was straight at the goalkeeper.
minute of extra time after he dispossessed Vincenti, but he lost his composure at the crucial time as he clipped the ball wide.ndDale continued in the ascendency after the break and forced a number of corners, but couldn’t test Charles-Cook. Chris Stokes had a great chance for the visitors in the 22
Two great chances in quick succession followed for Dale. Henderson did superb to win a ball in the air and set himself up for a half volley, but he sliced it over the bar. It was then Allen’s turn to try a half volley. This time it was struck sweetly, but the skipper saw his effort come back off the post.
The ball sat up perfectly again for Henderson cutting on from the left side, but his strike bounced into the side netting at the near post. It was the last action of an entertaining game of football, and it was onto penalties.
Dale went first and were faultless. Seven penalties in a row were scored, until Lameiras chipped one against the bar for the visitors, leaving Andrew to step up and score the winning penalty to send Dale through to the second round of the League Cup for the first time since 2011.