Rochdale’s under-18s fell to a 3-0 defeat on Saturday against Preston North End.
The visitors to Bower Fold scored twice before the break, before adding a third in the second half to wrap up the points.
Dale were forced into a substitution early on, when Paddy Watts sustained a head injury and had to be replaced by Tom Lawless.
The game started fairly evenly, although the Lilywhites had a couple of half chances before going on to open the scoring.
They firstly struck wide from outside the area, then fired over the bar.
And they broke the deadlock with 20 minutes on the clock, when Joe Rodwell-Grant finished from inside the area.
Preston doubled their advantage eight minute before the interval Rodwell-Grant held the ball up for Kitt Nelson, who struck home from close range.
Rochdale came close to halving the deficit before the break, but a last ditch tackle kept out Anisio Jesus after he’d been played in by Jordan Scanlon.
The Lilywhites extended their lead further in the 56th minute. After Lewis Leigh got in down the right, he squared the ball across goal and Mikey O’Neill tapped home.
Dale’s final two substitutions followed, with Zak Greenwell coming on for Darren Ehimameigho, and under-15s player Oscar Kelly replacing Jesper Laurence.
The visitors controlled much of the play after the goal and Brad Kelly pulled off a good save to deny O’Neill, as he comfortably held the shot.
Before time was out, Fabio Kibonda fired narrowly over.