The two teams had chances to win it, in the hard-fought encounter, but ultimately it ended stalemate at the Crown Oil Arena.
There was one change to the side that lined up against Tranmere Rovers last weekend, as Abraham Odoh came in for Alex Newby.
The visitors tested first and saw his shot from the edge of the area deflected narrowly over the bar on three minutes.
Sixty second later, George Broadbent curled a speculative effort wide of the far post.
Soon after, Liam Kelly won the ball back, finding Stephen Dooley who in turn played in Josh Andrews. He flicked the ball into the path of Conor Grant who had the best opportunity of the half so far and was denied only by Sam Horby’s strong save.
Up the other end, Jamie Walker caught a half-volley sweetly, but struck well wide from 20-yards.
Dale were then forced into two early substitutions through injury, six minutes apart. Aidy White took a bang to knee was replaced by debutant Max Clark, while Matty Done came on for Josh Andrews after he rolled his ankle.
The game continued end to end at times, and Dooley put in a strong block on Liam Ridehalgh’s shot from range. Lee Angol then fired well over from the edge of the area.
Done put a superb ball across the area soon after which was turned dangerously narrowly wide of the upright by a Bantam.
Deep in stoppage time, there was some brilliant play by Grant to win the ball back in midfield and release Odoh. The forward drove at goal but couldn’t get his shot away as the visitors got back to defend in numbers, and Hornby eventually collected.
HT | ROCHDALE 0-0 BRADFORD CITY
Three minutes after the restart Broadbent went for goal from range, and fired a powerful low effort narrowly past the post.
And with 52 minutes on the clock, Dale were forced into a third substitution because of injury. Kelly was unable to recover from a challenge, after suffering a gash to his shin, and he was replaced by Alex Newby.
Bradford City tested Coleman from a set-piece a short time later, but the Rochdale goalkeeper got down to hold the powerful low free-kick.
During a good spell of Dale pressure, Clark had a shot parried away by Hornby and one blocked.
The visitors’ best chance of the game followed just before the hour, but there was some great defending by Odoh to get in front of substitute Andy Cook, who headed narrowly wide from Alex Gilliead’s ball in from the right.
There was then some great defending by Captain Eoghan O’Connell who showed a turn of pace to race ahead of Lee Angol and disposes him, as he got in on goal.
There was another good spell of pressure from Rochdale, and Done hung up a cross to Newby at the back post, but a Bantams defender went up with him, and cleared the danger.
The visitors, too, were in on goal on a couple of occasions late on, but Charles Vernam had a shot well blocked by O’Connell, while Gilliead fired well wide.
Two minutes from time, Coleman got down low at his post to hold a Walker volley.
Bradford piled on the pressure on during stoppage time but Dale stood firm rebuffing their advances. As they struggled to find a way through, Walker went for goal from distance but Rochdale ‘keeper got down behind it.
As Dale got out, they won a free-kick for a foul on Grant, and Hornby was forced to get his palm to Newby’s swirling strike, to push it up and over the bar.
FT | ROCHDALE 0-0 BRADFORD CITY