Tuesday night’s game at the Crown Oil Arena against Tranmere Rovers will be the 127th meeting between the two sides.
Dale have won 40 of the previous meetings, with 26 being stalemates and Tranmere winning the remaining 60.
Here is a look back to some of our previous meetings…
Tranmere Rovers 1-1 Dale - Tuesday, 25th October 2022
The home side dominated for much of the first-half but weren’t really able to test Richard O’Donnell and only carved out a few half chances.
Rochdale opened the scoring, arguably, against the run of play in the 35th minute. Jimmy Keohane sent a ball over the top for Henderson to run onto and he fired beyond Ross Doohan and into the bottom corner. The goal saw the Dale forward reach a special milestone, as he equalled the club’s record number of goals scored, held by Reg Jenkins who played for Rochdale from 1964-73.
But the lead was short-lived and Tranmere equalised four minutes later. Hemmings stole a yard on the Dale defence to get on the end of Morris’ delivery and he bundled the ball home from close range, as the sides went in level at the break.
The second period was evenly matched for long spells and neither side created much during the early exchanges of the half.
Most notably, Toumani Diagouraga drove up the middle before playing in Henderson who in turn sent Tyrese Sinclair through on goal and he had shot kept out by Doohan.
Rochdale went in search of the winner, with Ebanks-Landell hitting wide from a free-kick in stoppage time and Rayhaan Tulloch seeing an effort kept out by the ‘keeper. But in the end, the sides shared the spoils at Prenton Park.
Dale 1-0 Tranmere Rovers - Saturday, 11th September 2021
Rochdale started the game brightly and were the dominant force throughout the first-half, forcing the first save of the match after ten minutes.
Abraham Odoh drove forward into the area before playing in Jake Beesley who turned his man before striking across goal, but Joe Murphy got his fingertips to it, to tip it away.
Rochdale were very much on top and in control when Alex Newby showed quick feet to get past a number of markers and had a shot blocked. Keohane pulled the ball back for Odoh in a central position and, as the goal opened up for him, he fired wide. And still, Rochdale threatened. O’Keeffe, after being played in by Morley, cut inside and struck a cross/shot past the post, before Dorsett and O’Keeffe both fired over the bar.
The deadlock was broken as Dale continued in the ascendancy. Grant and O'Connell combined to win the ball before Beesley flicked the ball onto Cashman. He brought it down on his thigh before firing into the far bottom corner.
Dale 3-2 Tranmere Rovers - Saturday, 1st January 2011
Dale took the lead after 26 minutes through Gary Jones from the penalty spot after Chris O’Grady was hauled down in the box by Marlon Broomes, resulting in a penalty to Dale and a red card for the Rovers man.
Tranmere equalised through Joss Labadie. But Dale retook the lead just before half-time as Jones scored his second of the game, forcing the ball over the line from close range.
It was Tranmere’s turn to convert from the penalty spot through Ian Thomas-Moore after goalscorer Labadie was brought down in the box.
But with five minutes left on the clock, Dale found a winning goal. Brian Barry-Murphy’s corner was headed home by Bobby Grant to give Dale all three points.