Rochdale were beaten 4-1 by Peterborough United in their first home game of the season at the Crown Oil Arena.
Ian Henderson’s penalty had given Dale an early lead, but the visitors equalised through Jason Cummings’ header eight minutes later.
Goals from Mark O’Hara and Matt Godden sent Peterborough into the break 3-1 to the good, and despite Dale dominating second-half play, a late O’Hara strike made the result more convincing than it was.
Ryan Delaney replaced Jim McNulty in the only change from last weekend’s opening day victory at Burton Albion.
Former Posh player Bradden Inman scored twice in that 2-1 win, and he narrowly headed over Henderson’s early cross after a superb break forward from David Perkins.
Josh Lillis had to be alert a short while later when he tipped over Siriki Dembele’s powerful effort, before he saw O’Hara’s effort deflect into his arms.
Dale broke the deadlock in the 17th minute from the penalty spot, after Joe Rafferty had been upended. Henderson stepped and calmly slotted his penalty down the middle.
The lead lasted just eight minutes though, as the visitors levelled through Cummings back-post header, when he Dembele’s left-wing cross from eight yards out.
Peterborough then took the lead shortly after the half hour mark. Dembele’s free-kick was nodded back across goal by Cummings to O’Hara, who headed past Lillis.
Callum Camps saw a first-time strike deflected wide and Aaron Wilbraham’s header from the resulting corner couldn’t get the required touch from Henderson at the back post, as Dale looked for an equaliser before the break.
Matty Done also had a great chance to bring Dale level when Rafferty’s shot deflected into his path, but he couldn’t get the ball out of his feet and sent a weak effort wide.
It was the visitors who bagged before the half-time whistle. Dembele saw a whipped free-kick well saved by Lillis, but he could only divert it as far as Godden, who sent the ball into the back of the net.
Calvin Andrew replaced Rafferty shortly after the break with Henderson moving to the right side, and he provided a great cross for Wilbraham whose looping header dropped onto the roof of the net.
Godden was inches away from doubling his tally for the visitors when his half volley was superbly tipped around the post by Lillis, before Dembele’s shot from distance hit the top of the crossbar.
Andy Cannon and Kgosi Ntlhe replaced Harrison McGahey and Done, with Ntlhe turning over a close range rebound, after Aaron Chapman had clawed Andrew’s back post header off the line.
Dale dominated possession as they looked for a way back into the game, but it was the visitors who added another in added time, when O’Hara broke after Posh had nicked the ball off Dale on the halfway line, and he finished coolly past Lillis.
Dale XI | Lillis, McGahey, MJ Williams, Delaney, Rafferty, Camps, Perkins, Done, Inman, Henderson, Wilbraham.
Subs | Moore, Ntlhe, McNulty, Andrew, Rathbone, Adshead, Cannon.