Rochdale claimed a point on the road on Tuesday, following a goalless draw with Northampton Town.
The two sides share of the spoils after playing out the game in difficult blustery conditions at PTS Academy Stadium.
Ryan McLaughlin, Jimmy McNulty and Conor Grant came into the starting eleven, replacing Gabriel Osho, Paul McShane and Matthew Lund, in three changes from the weekend. It was Grant’s first professional start.
Aaron Morley had the first chance of the game, seeing his curling effort from 25-yards held by Jonathan Mitchell in the Cobblers goal, before Gavin Bazunu made an important save moments later. He got down to push away a low Ryan Watson shot, which was then defended up and over the bar by Jimmy Keohane.
Soon after, there was an opportunity for Stephen Humphrys at the back post as he met an Ollie Rathbone cross in from the left, but the Dale forward could only head it back across goal and out of play on the opposite side.
Nine minutes later and he was in on goal again, this time seeing his powerful low strike blocked.
Either side of the half hour, Bazunu held Mickel Miller’s header, before being equal to a Watson effort, which has come in from the edge of the area after he’d broken away up the middle and in on goal.
HT | Northampton Town 0-0 Rochdale
The unlikeliest of sources provided the first on-target ‘effort’ of the second half after Bazunu’s ball out forced his counterpart to back pedal and keep it out on the line, getting back just in time to collect it under the cross bar.
Straight up the other end and the Rochdale stopper came out to close down a Lloyd Jones shot a source, after he’d got through one-on-one with Bazunu.
A short time later there was an important touch by Jimmy Keohane to deflect a Mark Marshall shot up and over the bar. Marshall was in on goal and only had Bazunu to beat, but Keohane got back to get something on the effort.
Dale’s first change of the game following in the 65th minute, as Grant made way for Kwadwo Baah.
Soon after, Alex Newby twisted and turned inside the area before having a shot blocked, before substitute Baah forced Mitchell into a save. Conor Shaughnessy's long throw was flicked on by Eoghan O'Connell to Baah, whose strike was kept out by the legs of the of the ‘keeper at the post.
With minutes left to play, Peter Kioso flashed a dangerous ball across the face of goal which inches wide.
FT | NORTHAMPTON TOWN 0-0 ROCHDALE