Rochdale fell to their first league defeat in six games on Saturday, following a 1-0 loss at home to Oldham Athletic.
Davis Keillor-Dunn’s second half strike separated the two sides at the Crown Oil Arena.
There were four changes to the side that lined up against Burnley midweek in the Carabao Cup, as Joel Coleman, Alex Newby, George Broadbent and Sam Graham all came into the side.
While the visitors enjoyed the better of the opportunities in the first half, chances were limited for both sides.
After Corey O’Keeffe’s claims for a spot-kick inside the first sixty seconds were turned down, the first opportunity of the game fell to Benny Couto on 10 minutes, but he could only slice his volley wide.
Midway through the half, Hallam Hope stung the palms of Joel Coleman from close range, as the Dale goalkeeper got two strong hands behind the effort to keep him out.
Callum Whelan then struck wide of the target from 25-yards.
Soon after, Rochdale were in on goal with their best chance of the half and Jimmy Keohane came within inches of putting Dale ahead. The full-back came to meet Morley’s ball to the back post but stooped just fractionally too early and the ball went by him.
HT | ROCHDALE 0-0 OLDHAM ATHLETIC
Rochdale started the second half brightly and had a couple of early opportunities.
Beesley got on to a loose ball and fired over from the edge of the area, before Morley’s low shot was denied by the woodwork as it came back off the post.
Up the other end, Dylan Bahamboula then flicked an effort wide for the visitors.
Ten minutes after the restart, there were shouts for a Dale penalty, and not for the first time, when Carl Piergianni shoved Alex Newby in the back, but there was no spot kick awarded.
Soon after, Bahamboula bulldozed his way into the area before being denied by Coleman and Couto had his follow up effort blocked.
The Latics’ goal came in the 59th minute - Keillor-Dunn curling an effort into the far corner from the edge of the area.
A double Dale substitution followed with George Broadbent and Danny Cashman making way for Abraham Odoh and Liam Kelly.
There was then another Rochdale penalty appeal turned down when Beesley was pushed into the advertising hoardings, but again, the referee waved away the protests.
Dale rallied after going behind but were left frustrated with the start/ stop nature of the game, and when they did get in on goal, the visitors stood firm. Keohane had a shot well-blocked, while Jayson Leutwiler got behind Newby’s half-volley to hold.
In the 84th minute, Josh Andrews replaced Newby, in the final home substitution of the game.
It was all Rochdale during the closing exchanges and in the 89th minute Dale were denied by the woodwork for a second time, as Captain Eoghan O’Connell saw his looping header come back off the bar.
Moments later, as the game entered seven minutes of stoppage time, the skipper saw his stunning, curling effort tipped round the post by Leutwiler.
Ultimately, though, Rochdale were unable to find a way through and fell to their first league defeat in six games.