Rochdale earned a point on the road on Tuesday night after a goalless draw with near neighbours Salford City.
Neither side could break the deadlock in the hard-fought encounter at the Peninsula Stadium.
There were three changes to the side that line-up against Swindon Town at the weekend, as Liam Kelly, Alex Newby and Abraham Odoh came in for Aaron Morley, Conor Grant and Danny Cashman.
Early on, Jeriel Dorsett floated a free-kick into the area which was met by Eoghan O’Connell and nodded down for George Broadbent, who had a shot blocked.
But as the game progressed, it was the home side that enjoyed a prolonged spell of pressure, whilst only getting two of their shots on target, as Rochdale stood firm.
Conor McAleny saw a shot across goal deflected narrowly wide of the target by Dorsett, before Jason Lowe’s strike from range, a couple of minutes later, was also blocked behind.
Former Dale midfielder Matty Lund then curled a snap shot from 25-yards over the bar.
In the 21st minute Joel Coleman pulled off a fine save to deny Brandon Thomas-Asante, getting down superbly to turn the forward’s effort round the post.
Six minutes later he held Ash Hunter’s long-range effort.
Up the other end, Jake Beesley didn’t give up on Coleman’s kick-out and managed to get a head on it in a challenge with Connor Ripley, but he couldn’t force it across the line and it dropped for the ‘keeper who held.
Soon after, Corey O’Keeffe had a shot blocked, having got on the end of Jimmy Keohane’s cross.
Coleman then held McAleny’s low effort, while Matty Willock headed over Liam Shephard’s ball to the back post, and McAleny’s miscued his shot after Ibou Touray had fired across goal, striking wide of the far upright.
Before the break, O’Keeffe struck wide from 25-yards, before Abraham Odoh fired a powerful effort at Ripley.
HT | SALFORD CITY 0-0 ROCHDALE
It was all Rochdale during the opening exchanges of the second period, as they started the half superbly.
Three minutes after the start, Odoh picked up a loose ball and found Newby who had a shot blocked, before he, himself, saw his effort on the follow up deflected wide.
O’Connell nodded Liam Kelly’s delivery back across goal and Beesley got on the end of it, flicking over the bar.
Dale’s first substitution of the match followed in the 53rd minute, with Broadbent making way for Morley.
Ripley then denied Keohane and Newby, beating away their efforts within a couple of minutes of each other.
The hosts grew into the half and shortly after the hour mark, they hit Dale on the break, with Coleman forced to turn Thomas-Asante’s shot away from the edge of the area wide of the far post.
Meanwhile, substitute Tom Elliott powered a couple headers over the bar from two balls into the box.
Rochdale’s second substitution of the game came in the 86th minute, as Aidy White replaced Kelly.
Two minutes later, Beesley latched onto a loose ball over the top and after cutting inside, saw his shot agonisingly blocked.
In stoppage time, Cashman came on for Odoh, in the final change of the game.
FT | SALFORD CITY 0-0 ROCHDALE