Despite taking an early lead Rotherham United were on the receiving end of the second four goal blast of the Lancastrians against them this season.

It was an unchanged line up that had to be alert from the start against a very quick Rochdale side who were soon on to the attack and on four minutes Le Fondre wasted a good chance firing wide from only a few yards.

But the Millers rocked the home team when they took a seventh minute lead with Marc Joseph converting a Peter Holmes corner. Five minutes later it could have been two up when the keeper was beaten by Derek Holmes header and the ball came to Peter Holmes but with the keeper off his line the header was headed out for a corner by a defender.

Andy Warrington had to be alert to deny Howe and after Joseph had had a 20 yarder saved it was the home team who found the net to level matters on the half hour mark when Howe knocked on a long clearance from the keeper to put Jones in the clear and he made no mistake for the equaliser.

Then Howe was left in the clear only for Warrington to deny him with a brave save and in the last few minutes of the first half the two Holmes both saw effort6s blocked.

Rochdale applied a lot of pressure at the start of the second half but the Millers defence held firm while a Joseph free kick was cleared and Pablo Mills did well to block a Rundle shot.

Mark Hudson and Ryan Taylor combined to almost set up another goal as the Millers pushed forward and from the second of two quick corners Hudson headed into the area to lead to a scramble that saw Mills' effort go too high.

Hudson then volleyed wide following another free kick before Rochdale made what turned out to be a crucial substitution on 69 minutes with the introduction of Dagnall.

On 81 minutes he put his team in front when Thorpe knocked on a Rundle cross and five minutes later he added a second when the ball rebounded kindly to him.

Then as the game went into added time he completed his trio latching on to a long ball to score with a well placed left foot shot and the Millers woes were complete.

Rochdale: Lee, Ramsden, Kennedy, Stanton, McArdle, Rundle, Jones, Perkins, Muirhead (Basham 54), Howe (Thorpe 65), Le Fondre (Dagnall 69). Subs: Holness.

Thompson.

Rotherham: Warrington, Tonge, Mills, Coughlan, Joseph, Yates (Taylor 52), Harrison, Hudson, P. Holmes (Ross 78), D. Holmes (Newsham 60), O'Grady. Subs: Cann, Green.

Referee: Andy Woolmer (Northants.

Attendance: 2,985.