Rochdale went down 3-0 at home to strong Bolton Wanderers on Tuesday night, in their final group stage tie of this season’s competition.
Dale will now need to wait another week to see whether or not they will go through as runners up, with Port Vale not due to play Liverpool until November 9th, although they look all but out of the competition.
There were eight changes to the side that lined-up against Barrow at the weekend.
Despite Rochdale starting the game brightly, two goals in as many minutes put the visitors ahead, before they added third shortly before the break.
Dale were in on goal during the opening exchanges after a mistake at the back allowed Matty Done to nip in and get a shot away from range, but it went inches wide of the upright.
Conor Grant then got to the byline before squaring for Danny Cashman, who saw his strike held at the near post.
Up the other end, Eoin Doyle bundled his way into the area before sending a tame shot at goal which failed to trouble Jay Lynch.
Wanderers opened the scoring against the run of play moments later through a stunning wonder strike, as Afolayan curled an effort, that Lynch could do nothing about, into the top corner from 25-yards.
They doubled their advantage two minutes later, when John fired into the bottom corner, after Doyle’s blocked effort fell kindly for him.
On the half hour, Ricardo Alemdia Santos headed over from a corner.
Rochdale were forced into their first substitution of the game shortly before the break. Cashman couldn’t continue after an earlier challenge and was replaced by Abraham Odoh.
Soon after the change, Lynch pulled off a smart save to keep out a Bolton free-kick that took an awkward deflection on the way through.
And in stoppage time Wanderers netted from the spot. After Afolayan rounded Lynch, the Dale goalkeeper was adjudged to have brought him to ground, and Doyle struck home the resulting penalty.
FT | Rochdale 0-3 Bolton Wanderers
In the early exchanges after the break, George Broadbent had a shot deflected wide, while Corey O’Keeffe fired wide from a corner.
Aidy White and Grant then combined to put a ball in towards Odoh, but it bounced off the forward and he was unable to turn an effort goalwards.
Either side of the hour, Afolayan dragged a shot wide of the far post from a corner, before Lloyd Isgrove fired a dangerous ball across the face of goal and wide of the upright.
Rochdale continued in search of a goal and Stephen Dooley forced Joel Dixon into a save, with the goalkeeper parrying away his curling effort.
Jeriel Dorsett then found Done with a threaded pass and after the latter got to the byline, he pulled the ball back for Odoh who struck wide.
But ultimately Dale were unable to find a consolation goal.
FT | Rochdale 0-3 Bolton Wanderers