Dale ran out 5-1 winners over Oldham Athletic in a behind-closed-doors pre-season friendly on Friday afternoon.
After a goalless first-half at the Crown Oil Arena, Robbie Stockdale’s men blew their near neighbours away in the second period, with goals from Aaron Morley, Jim McNulty, Alex Newby, Jake Beesley and Matty Done.
New signing Sam Graham made his first appearance in a Dale shirt, when he was introduced from the bench for the final half an hour.
Dale began strongly with Abraham Odoh seeing a side foot shot held by the goalkeeper, before Newby had an effort well blocked.
Odoh then released Newby on the counter attack, with the Dale number ten showing great skill to pop the ball through the legs of his marker before having a shot deflected wide.
Beesley was denied by a fine save midway through the opening period when his effort to the far post was tipped wide of the upright.
Conor Grant and Beesley both had efforts blocked before the goalkeeper produced another fine save around the post, this time from Odoh who had cut inside and tried to curl one to the far post.
Odoh then turned provider for Grant, laying off to him inside the area, with the goalkeeper again keeping Dale at bay, before Beesley headed wide right at the end of the first-half.
Stephen Dooley had a shot from inside the area well blocked after being found by Odoh, just a minute before Dale opened the scoring, when Morley found the bottom corner with a well-struck effort from 25-yards.
The Dale midfielder then saw a curling free-kick turned wide by the goalkeeper, but from the resulting corner Morley provided a second goal.
His driven delivery was met at the back post by McNulty, who guided home a free header from six yards.
Stockdale made five substitutions just after the half-hour mark, with Ethan Brierley making an instant impact as he provided a pass to Newby for Dale’s third.
Newby twisted and turned past his man on the right before firing a low effort towards the near post which was too powerful for the goalkeeper to keep out.
Beesley added a fourth just a minute later, when Grant laid the ball off to the striker to fire into the roof of the net first time from 12 yards.
Grant also provided Dale’s fifth with 15 minutes remaining. Jimmy Keohane found Grant in the left channel and he played the ball through to Done inside the area, who hit a powerful effort beyond the goalkeeper at the near post.
The visitors netted a consolation goal with ten minutes remaining, before new signing Graham saw a near post header from a corner well blocked with the last action of the game.
Dale XI | Lynch (Trialist 62’), Trialist, Trialist (Graham 62’), McNulty, Trialist (Keohane 62’), Morley, Dooley (Brierley 62’), Grant, Newby (Jesus 70’), Odoh (Done 62’), Beesley (Dunne 81’).