Rochdale fell to defeat on the road on Saturday, losing 1-0 to Fleetwood Town at Highbury Stadium.
A second half own goal from Eoghan O’Connell was the difference between the two sides.
Ryan McLaughlin returned from injury to replace Kwadwo Baah in the starting eleven, in the only change from Easter Monday’s draw with Ipswich Town.
The hosts tested first, within the opening sixty seconds, when Callum Connelly head down and narrowly wide of the upright from a corner, which had been sent to the back post.
And any Dale pre-match preparations were dealt a blow after just 13 minutes, when they forced into their first substitution of the game. Matty Done took a bang to the head following a hefty challenge and he was replaced by Baah.
When play got back underway, Wes Burns saw a header held by Jay Lynch, before heading wide moments later.
Former Rochdale midfielder and Academy graduate Callum Camps attempted an acrobatic over-head kick, but he could only steer his audacious effort wide of the upright, from just inside the area.
Up the other end, and Dale were denied on the line shortly before the half hour mark. After Baah had sliced a shot wide, McLaughlin kept the ball in play before pulling it back to Ollie Rathbone, who saw his low effort cleared off the line.
Soon after, Rathbone dragged an effort past the post, as neither team could break the deadlock, and the sides went in level at the interval.
HT | FLEETWOOD TOWN 0-0 ROCHDALE
Rochdale started the second half brightly and forced Alex Cairns into a save a few minutes after the restart, with the Fleetwood goalkeeper holding a header from Beesley, after he’d got on the end of a Baah ball in from the left.
But Dale went behind soon after, in the 52nd minute, through an own goal. Burns’ low ball in from the right was turned home from close range by O’Connell.
Rochdale almost responded immediately, when Conor Grant spotted Cairns off his line and took a quick free-kick, forcing the ‘keeper to scurry back and tip his strike up and over the bar at the last.
A double Dale change followed in the 56th minute, as Grant and Conor Shaughnessy made way for Stephen Dooley and Aaron Morley, before a fourth substation came 12 minutes later, when Jack Vale replaced Haydon Roberts.
As the game progressed chances were at a premium for both sides, but Burns fired a low effort across goal and narrowly wide of the upright late on, before Morley came agonisingly close to earning Dale a point in the dying minutes.
He spotted an opportunity from a free-kick to go directly for goal from a free-kick leaving Cairns stranded, but he struck inches wide and into the side netting.
FT | FLEETWOOD TOWN 1-0 ROCHDALE