3-0 down with a keeper struggling to even walk, it was more of a mountain range that we had to climb if our FA Cup adventures were to make it through to the second round.

But the one thing that we've learned during these fantastic three years is what a difference an hour can make, nevermind a week. For as we trooped out, past the bathroom windows which surround the steps leading out from the away end at Kenilworth Road, we did so with smiles on our faces that were arguably even bigger than those we sported at Dean Court last weekend.

And all this for just another typical Saturday in the Hillcroft era!

Concerns about whether we'd actually be able to get a side out at Luton to take on last season's relegated side were dispelled by the time we arrived at the ground, as news filtered through that Kenny Arthur and Gary Jones had both been passed fit to play, with Will Buckley making a return to the bench so a couple of loanees apart, it wasn't far off being a full first team that had made the 50mph journey down the M1.

Luton were far from being the archetypal non league side with a side consisting of players who had almost all played against us in the past couple of years at League Two level. Up front Basham and Gallen were stalwarts at this stage of their career and at the back Alan White has more history with Dale than most of our own players.

But it all went horribly wrong in the opening ten minutes under a glorious Indian Summer afternoon. We'd started brightly enough and certainly looked potent from an attacking point of view, but in one passage of play, a succession of errors allowed the home side to take the lead.

Jason Kennedy was the victim of a nutmegging around the halfway line giving the ascendancy to the hosts, and with McArdle playing at right back almost with a centre half's mentality, it allowed the winger to cut in and cross the ball to the back post where the former Oxford striker Basham headed home.

Our right hand side was looking weak and it didn't take long before Rundle and Thompson were switched over to try and toughen up that side of the pitch.

The lead could have been doubled not long after, but it was the intervention of the referee who was not to be fooled by the Luton attacker's dive and after a moment of panic as the referee blew his whistle to the penalty box incident, relief soon took over.

It was very mixed at this point. We looked dangerous going forward, with Chris Dagnall doing his usual act of causing all sorts of bother, and a low drive tested the home side's debutant keeper, and Adam Rundle was getting into good positions on a regular basis without any end product.

But at the other end, we looked far from comfortable. The first doubts about Arthur's fitness were starting to spring up, and it seemed to affect our entire defence as a unit.

Arguably, Arthur's lack of mobility cost of us for our second goal. As it was, the actual finish was a cracker as Newton lobbed Arthur as he nipped in between a couple of Dale defenders. This was not going according to plan.

Discussions in the away end suggested that despite the two goal defecit, the game was very much still there to compete in.  We'd caused them bother at the other end without actually playing well, and if we could grab one back, then another would surely follow at some stage.

But such a comeback didn't take a third goal into the equation, and around the half hour mark, they'd increased their lead and all but booked their place in round two.

Arthur's lack of fitness again contributed to the goal. We'd put ourselves under pressure at the back and were unable to clear the lines due to Arthur not being able to clear the ball.  This injury was a real concern from those who had travelled down, with many calling for the introduction of the sixteen year old sub keeper.

But that pressure led to some real panic at the back and it allowed Luton to impose themselves on us, and it was that man Basham again to give Luton that third goal which all but put us out. Shellshocked didn't come close.

We were clinging on for half time, if only to assess the goalkeeping situation , and God forbid that we'd concede a fourth. And it looked like it would be, as the half time whistle saw young Taberner come out to warm up. But after that, it was most surprising to see Arthur the first of the Dale side to return for the second half.

Concerns were that the half time team talk from Luton would pinpoint Arthur as the weak link, with him pressed and bombarded throughout from start to finish. Our team talk must have consisted of "keep the ball in their half, and we don't have to worry about Arthur". It was a tactic which worked a treat.

The first real chance came the way of the home side though we managed to hold on to clear the ranks, and it was loanee Chris O'Grady who had our best effort of the game so far when some neat football saw the ball cut back to him, but his effort scraped the home side's cross bar before ending up amongst the Dale ranks behind the goal.

With thirty minutes to spare, we were awarded a free kick just outside the Luton box, but out wide. The free kick brought with it a double substitution, with a few eyebrows raised at Chris O'Grady's withdrawal in favour of Will Buckley and bizarrely a few boos at the decision to withdraw Adam Rundle for Kallum Higginbotham.

Seconds later, the contest was back on.

The free kick was whipped in by former bucket Tom Kennedy, with the ball being met by Rory McArdle who's header connected with Craig Dawson  before ending up in the back of the net. Could we be seeing a repeat of Morecambe with another fairytale comeback?

Watches were immediately checked to see how much time was remaining to see if there was sufficient time was left in the game for such a comeback, and if such a grandstand finish was to be made, when we'd need to score our second.

We came close. Jones went on a run, which seemed to go on and on, and unlike previous occasions this season, his persistence led him to getting a shot in. However, it was well saved and the second attempt came to nothing.

Time started creeping on and on, and despite the usual great football by ourselves, we found the back eight of Luton almost impossible to get by and we may well have had spells of ten passes plus on the trot without showing any penetration at all. The seconds were most certainly ticking by as watches were checked every more frequently.

As we reached the final five minutes, even the most optimistic of supporters were probably getting ready to trot out the "We're concentrating on the league this season" line (as opposed to those other years where you can tell where we've made the FA Cup the be-all and end all), but never ever write this side off.

The pressure continued to mount and Tom Kennedy produced a stunning cross which was read well by Joey Thompson to the extent that he just had to be there to allow any contact with the ball. That's probably harsh on the boy Thompson as he did all that he needed to do to give Dale just a hint of a comeback.

The media will insist that there was just two minutes between Thompson's first goal and what was his second goal, but anyone who was at Kenilworth Road knows that there was something like half an hour in reality. Common sense would say that we'd be doing all the pressing at this stage and chucking everything at them, but our second goal gave Luton their best spell in the second half.

It might not sound much given that our third followed "two minutes later" allegedly, but they had about three glorious chances to put the game to bed at this stage but for poor finishing. Deep at the back of my mind (without being brave enough to say it), I'd had these down as the sort of chances they'd come to regret.

And so it proved to be. Will Buckley went rampaging down the left, before leaving the ball to Jonah which prompted a very nervous look toward the linesman to see whether he'd strayed offside in doing so, and I swear I saw Jonah have a little look just to check as well.

But Jonah's cross was met by the one Dale player in a penalty box containing six or seven home defenders, and a considered header from Joey Thompson gave the home keeper no chance at all and he grabbed a very late equaliser to spark the sort of scenes that we've come to expect over the past three years. It's questionable whether the grins were bigger on or off the pitch.

Three nil and you didn't do the best job of holding on to the lead. Or words to that effect.

And we almost had the perfect comeback when a Craig Dawson went narrowly wide during the four minutes of injury time, but a winner would have been greedy.

So 3-3 it was, and we had to settle for a replay that seemed a million miles away just a few minutes earlier.

You could reflect on this game about half a dozen different ways. This game probably sums up the type of supporter that you are, like some sort of Smash Hits quiz.

Was this
A) a display that suffered from risk taking with certain players
B) an error strewn game in which Dale were brought down to the level of their Conference opponents
C) A great comeback and fantastic entertainment for everyone in the ground?

Shame on anyone who walked away from this having had it down as anything but a C. Complaints may well have been justified but this is the entertainment business and we're getting our money's worth and then some.

We are seeing what will become some of our greatest Dale memories happening week in week out right before our eyes. Never take it for granted, and make sure you appreciate it for what it is. There'll come a day where we'll miss all of this.