The Youth Team advanced through to the next round of the Lancashire FA Professional Youth Cup with a 3-2 win over Oldham Athletic.
Fine strikes from Musambya Kisimba and Luke Matheson had given Dale a 2-0 lead, but the visitors scored twice in 12 minutes to draw level.
However, substitute Fabio Tavares scored in added time to put Dale back in front and into the next round.
Dale dominated the opening period and almost took the lead inside five minutes, when Lewis Bradley picked the ball up in space, turned and shot, only to see his effort cannon back off the upright.
Bradley then set Matheson free on right side before the full-back squared to Florent Hoti in the middle park, but he saw his shot from 25-yards go inches wide.
The visitors’ goalkeeper prevented Dale from taking the lead on a number of occasions, twice through Florian Yonsian before he pulled off a superb save to deny Hoti’s well struck effort from outside the area.
Dan Adshead curled an effort off target and the Oldham goalkeeper denied Hoti again from distance, before Dale struck the woodwork for a second time.
Yonsian showed great pace to get past his man and square for Adshead who saw his shot blocked, but the ball fell kindly for Kisimba who took a touch past his defender before striking off the outside of the post.
Yonsian then skewed an effort wide from close range after Hoti’s scuffed effort from Matheson’s pull back, before Dale took a deserved lead on the stroke of half-time.
He picked the ball up on the corner of the area before working his way across the edge onto his left foot and firing an effort into the top corner which was too powerful for the Oldham stopper.
The lead was doubled seven minutes after the break thanks to Matheson’s superb strike. Adshead saw a shot blocked, but the ball fell for Matheson who struck first-time from outside the area off the underside of the bar and into the net.
Hoti was again denied by a smart stop from the goalkeeper before Yonsian’s deflected effort was held, as Dale looked for a third goal.
However, it was the visitors who grabbed the next goal, a curling effort from 25-yards which left under-16s goalkeeper Ben Chalton with no chance.
And Oldham grabbed an equaliser 12 minutes later. Dale failed to clear their lines and were dispossessed in their own area, which led to a powerful finish from close range.
Harrison Hopper and Tavares replaced Louis White and Yonsian, with Tavares having a goal ruled out for offside with his first touch moments after coming on.
He wouldn’t be denied as the game entered added time, though. Adshead saw a shot from a right angle saved, but it fell kindly for Tavares who slammed home from close range to seal Dale’s place in the next round of the competition.