Rochdale’s pre-season friendly schedule got underway with a win on Wednesday evening.
Brian Barry-Murphy’s side recorded a 4-1 victory over Atherton Collieries at Skuna Stadium, in the first-ever meeting between the two sides.
Alex Newby scored a brace, while Jimmy Ryan and Aaron Morley netted the others.
Rochdale took an early two goal lead, with Newby and Ryan netting inside the opening six minutes.
The summer signing fired Dale ahead with two minutes on the clock, when he found the bottom corner from the edge of the area after being played in by Keaton Mulvey.
A rocket strike from Ryan four minutes later doubled Rochdale’s advantage. After receiving a pass into feet from Harrison Hopper, he drove past his man and struck into the top corner from 25-yards.
On nine minutes, the home side halved the deficit, with Elliot Rokka scoring from the spot, after a foul on the edge of the area.
Moments later, Rokka's curling effort was kept out by Jay Lynch, who was also called into action soon after, holding a Lewis Doyle strike from the edge of the area.
Rochdale’s third of the evening came in the 18th minute, when Newby scored his second. Matty Done beat the offside trap to square to Newby, who coolly slotted into an empty net at the far post.
Five minutes later, former Dale ‘keeper Danny Taberner, in goal for the Colls, pulled off a fine double save. He firstly kept Mulvey out with his feet, before pushing away a shot from Newby on the follow up.
Up the other end, Danny Lafferty headed over from a cover.
Done was involved in the action moments later. Taberner kept out his 20-yard strike after diving to his left, while a dinked effort, which had beaten the goalkeeper, dropped agonisingly wide.
Before the half was out, Doyle sent a half volley well over from 25-yards.
HT | ATHERTON COLLIERIES 1-3 ROCHDALE
Rochdale dominated much of the second half and enjoyed the better of the opportunities.
Fabio Tavares raced onto a ball over the top and looked to lift it over the advancing Elliot Wynne, but under pressure from the defence he put it wide.
On the hour mark, Tavares was brought down inside the area. Morley stepped up to take the resulting spot-kick, converting it into the bottom corner after sending the goalkeeper the wrong way.
Kwadwo Baah had a shot blocked inside the area, while Ethan Brierley struck wide after a corner found its way to him on the edge of the area.
In the last of the action, Hopper headed wide from a Ryan McLaughlin right-wing cross.
FT | ATHERTON COLLIERIES 1-4 ROCHDALE
First half XI | Lynch, Hopper, McShane, McNulty, Trialist, Bradley, Ryan, Mialkowski, Done, Newby, Mulvey
Second half XI | Lynch, McLaughlin, Keohane, Morley, Trialist, Brierley, Lund, Hopper, Tavares, Rathbone, Baah