Rochdale fell to a 2-1 opening day defeat at home to Crewe Alexandra on Saturday.
The Railwaymen took a 2-0 lead into the break thanks to goals from Dan Agyei and Lachlan Brook, before Devante Rodney pulled one back for Dale in the 69th minute.
There were a number of debuts, as summer recruits Richard O’Donnell, Femi Sekiri, Rodney, Toumani Diagouraga and Cameron John all started for Robbie Stockdale’s side. There were also return debuts for Ethan Ebanks-Landell and Ian Henderson.
Early on, there were shouts for a Dale penalty after Abraham Odoh was upended after playing a one-two with Ian Henderson, but the referee was quick to say no.
Rochdale had started brightly, but the Railwaymen broke the deadlock in the 14th minute, as Agyei headed home from a free-kick.
They doubled their advantage eight minutes later through Brook, who fired low beyond Richard O’Donnell from the edge of the area.
Crewe Alex dominated after their second goal and they could have had a third on the half hour. Kelvin Williams played a low ball across the Dale area but, on this occasion, Brooke squandered the opportunity, skewing his shot wide.
Dale were in on goal, soon after. Following a great move forward, Henderson found James Ball in the area who attempted to dink Arthur Okonkwo but his effort was narrowly over, landing in the roof of the net.
Ball had another opportunity five minutes later. After some great work and quick feet from Seriki saw him get away from his marker, he sent a dangerous ball across the face of goal for Ball, who fired over.
Early on after the break, Rochdale got into the area on a couple of occasions, but there was no-one there to get a decisive touch on the balls across the face of goal to turn them home.
And three minutes after the re-start, O’Donnell was forced into a save, punching away Brook’s shot from outside the box.
From a Dale corner, Liam Kelly fired a fierce snap shot across the face of goal and narrowly wide, with shouts that the strike had come off a Crewe player, but there was no corner given.
Shortly before the hour, Seriki powered down the right and had a low shot kept out by the legs of Okonkwo.
And Rochdale pulled a goal back in the 69th minute to halve the deficit. Diagouraga did superbly well to brush off a Crewe man and feed a ball through to Rodney. He got past two men in the area before firing home to open his account on his debut.
A triple Dale substitution followed, with Ethan Brierley, Ben Nelson and Tyrese Sinclair replacing Kelly, Sam Graham and Rodney.
Rochdale continued in the ascendancy and Ball forced the ‘keeper into a flying save, as he pushed away the powerful snapshot.
Moments later, there were huge shouts for a Dale penalty when Sinclair was upended inside the area, but again, the referee waved away the appeals.
There was a fourth substitution with five minutes of the game remaining, as Luke Charman came on for Ball.
Late on, Sinclair, from a Brierley free-kick, had an effort held, before Charman headed over from a corner in stoppage time, but ultimately Dale couldn't find an equaliser.