Rochdale came from behind to beat Fleetwood Town 3-1 at home on Saturday, thanks to a Peter Thomas brace and goal from Paul Kyffin.
After going a goal down, Dale responded quickly to get themselves back into the game in the first half and went ahead, before netting a third in the second period to secure against the 10-man Cod Army at Bower Fold.
After a tense opening with no chances to note, Rochdale went behind in the eleventh minute.
However, just fifteen minutes later Dale found their equaliser through Kyffin. Thomas got on the end of Jordan Scanlon’s ball into the box, flicking it on for Kyffin who hit home into an empty net at the back post.
Eight minutes later, Rochdale went ahead. Ethan Brierley played in Thomas, who slotted it straight past the ‘keeper.
In the 42nd minute, Lennon Maclorg, under 16s goalkeeper, made a good save as he got down low to prevent Fleetwood from equalising.
On the stroke of half time, the visitors were reduced to ten men after a late challenge on the by-line forced the referee to show a second yellow card and subsequently, a red card.
After the break, Fleetwood started the better of the two sides and during the opening exchanges forced a great save from Maclorg with a well struck volley outside the area.
On the hour, the visitors once again came close to finding an equaliser when a curling effort from the edge of the area went inches wide of the top right corner.
Two minutes later, Maclorg once again made a great save as he denied a close-range effort by tipping it onto the post.
In the 70th minute, Dale all but ended any chance of Fleetwood coming back into the game when they netted their third of the match, with Thomas slotting home after a well-worked team move.
Dale XI | Maclorg, Cunningham, Watts, Kyle, Sutton, Kershaw, Brierley, Kyffin, Scanlon, Thomas, Jesus.
Subs | Caldwell, Blake, Mandley, Laurence, Ehimamiegho, Kibonda, Greenwell.