Dale suffered a 2-0 defeat at Solihull Moors on Tuesday, as the hosts extended their unbeaten start to the season to 14 games.
Goals from Jack Stevens and Josh Kelly sealed the win for Moors, but Dale will rue a number of missed chances in the second period.
Jimmy McNulty made two changes from Saturday’s game, as Max Taylor and Ian Henderson started in place of George Nevett and Tyrese Sinclair, who were both on the bench.
Dale saw more of the ball in the opening stages without creating an opening and it was Louie Moulden who was forced into action first of the two goalkeepers, getting fingertips to a Josh Kelly free-kick from 20-yards to turn it over the bar.
The tall figure of Mark Beck glanced a header well wide for the hosts before Ryan East fired an effort narrowly off target from the edge of the area.
Kairo Mitchell went close for Dale just after the half hour mark, meeting Henderson’s low cross from the right following a quick counter, but on the stretch, he sent it narrowly over.
Dale finished the half strongly with a succession of corners, with a flicked effort goalward being blocked behind the closest they would come before the break.
However, less than four minutes after the restart, the hosts took the lead, when Stevens finished off a quick Moors move forward, sliding one into the bottom corner from 12 yards.
Dale created a couple of good opportunities in the spell after the goal. First, Henderson headed into the ground and produced a diving save from Tommy Simkin, following Jimmy Keohane’s looping cross after he had been found by a superb Adam Clayton pass.
Simkin made another save midway through the half, when he denied East who received a great through ball from Mitchell inside the area.
Moulden held a Stevens header before Henderson was again denied at the other end, seeing his side foot shot held after substitute Sinclair had done superbly to beat his man on the left.
Dale were made to pay for their missed changes in the 72nd minute, when Kelly latched on to a ball behind the Dale defence and clip the ball over Moulden one-on-one.
Even after the second, McNulty’s men continued to create chances. Henderson saw a first time shot well blocked and both Mitchell and East had efforts blocked at source by the home defence.
Dale dominated the ball as the clock ticked down but couldn’t find a route to goal, leaving the Midlands with nothing.
Dale XI | Moulden, Oduroh (83’ Conway), Taylor (57’ Nevett), Ebanks-Landell, Keohane, Clayton, East, Gilmour (57’ Sinclair), Uchegbulam, Henderson, Mitchell.
Unused subs | Sinclair, Nevett, Afuye, Conway, Ferguson.