A pair of Ian Henderson penalties secured a 2-0 victory over Bradford City at the Northern Commercials Stadium.
Dale created a host of chances throughout the game and finally broke the deadlock eight minutes from time, when Henderson converted his eighth of the season from the spot after he was brought down in the area himself.
He doubled his tally and made sure of all three points, when he sent the goalkeeper the wrong way after Stephen Dooley had been brought down the home goalkeeper.
Keith Hill made six changes to his starting line-up from last weekend’s game at home to Doncaster Rovers.
Brendan Moore, Ryan Delaney, Dooley, Callum Camps, Jordan Williams and Matty Done all returned to the starting eleven.
Dale began brightly, forcing Bradford goalkeeper Richard O’Donnell into a couple of early saves.
Camps found Done in the area with a through ball, who saw a shot turned around the near post by the Bantams stopper, before Camps himself was denied with a low effort from the edge of the area after the corner had been played to him.
The home side were forced into an early change when Kelvin Mellor was taken off on a stretcher and replaced by Nathaniel Knight-Percival, shortly after Lewis O’Brien had sliced well wide.
Dooley was causing the hosts problems during a strong first-half spell, his run forward and pass finding Williams who poked an effort wide.
The Northern Irishman found Williams again who laid the ball off to Done, his effort producing a fine save from O’Donnell who flew to his right to turn the effort from 25-yards around the post.
From the corner, a low ball falling for Ollie Rathbone who stabbed wide of the near post.
Camps sent an ambitious volley well wide before Done fired over form distance following good link-up play with Dooley.
The home side came closest though four minutes before the break, when a corner somehow fell to Anthony O’Connor who saw an effort superbly blocked by Delaney.
The ball fell to George Miller who fired a shot on target, but Joe Rafferty was back on the line to control and clear away from danger.
The final chance of the half fell Dale’s away when Henderson’s flicked header from Rafferty’s cross was inches away from being turned in by Delaney.
George Miller fired well over inside the opening 20 seconds of the second-half shortly before Camps saw a shot deflected around the near-post.
Williams saw a shot well blocked after a corner was nodded back across the area by Ntlhe, before O’Donnell produced a fine save from Henderson’s header.
The Bradford goalkeeper was then equal to an acrobatic effort from Camps, before his opposite number Moore denied Miller with an outstretched hand, turning over the bar.
Done saw a curled effort deflected just past the far post, before Moore produced a fine save from Miller’s 25-yard effort.
With eight minutes remaining, Dale were awarded a penalty when Henderson jinked into the area and was brought down by O’Connor.
The Dale skipper stepped up and fired a powerful effort beyond O’Donnell into the bottom corner.
Moore kept Dale level when he denied Miller one-on-one after the Bradford striker latched on to a ball over the top, whilst McGowan headed a cross over the bar.
Dale looked to be heading for all three points and a second Henderson penalty made sure they did.
Lewis O’Brien’s weak back-pass was picked up by Dooley, who was brought down O’Donnell as he went to round the goalkeeper.
Henderson elected to go the other way this time, sending the Bradford stopper the wrong way, and wrapping up Dale’s third away win of the season in League One.