Rochdale are in the hat for the second-round draw but will need to overcome a replay at Meadow Lane in order to make the fixture following a 1-1 draw against National League side Notts County at Spotland.

Dale took the lead thanks to a wonderful Corey O’Keeffe finish but that was cancelled out by Kyle Wootton’s second half header to send the tie to a replay. A trip to Hooters is a silver lining, I guess.

Fook off Chalky!

Stephen Dooley came back into the side, replacing Alex Newby as one of the wide attacking options and Jay Lynch replaced Joel Coleman in net. Aside from that it was very much as expected for Robbie Stockdale’s side. Josh Andrews was back fit after a spell out injured while the extra subs places were taken by youngsters Ethan Brierley and Jordan Scanlon.

After the minutes silence and taking of the knee, the whistle blew, and Notts County got us underway in their big game against football league opposition.

It was a fairly slow start to the game and the first opportunity fell to Dale on 16 minutes when Odoh drove forward and curled an effort wide of the post.

Corey O’Keeffe had a wonderful chance at the back post which I thought was in on first watch, but his volley hit the side netting after a good corner ball from Aaron Morley on 22 minutes.

Fook off Chalky!

Former Rochdale loannee Joel Taylor had a great game for the visitors and he had a volleyed effort sail just wide of Lynch’s right post.

Kyle Wootton had a great chance with a low header from a wonderful Joel Taylor cross, but it went harmlessly wide. The Magpies number 9 also started the move by dinking the ball over both Dorsett and Kelly, making both of them look a bit silly.

With a fairly uneventful half coming to a close, Dale took the lead! Abraham Odoh played a short corner to Liam Kelly and the Irish Iniesta put in a cross that went through everyone to O’Keeffe who took a touch and curled it into the far corner off the post. A wonderful finish and another assist for Liam Kelly! Just on the stroke of halftime, Dale led 1-0!

It hadn’t been a great performance by any stretch of the imagination, but we were doing enough.

Fook off Chalky!

Dale got the second half started and should have doubled their lead on 48 minutes when Kelly, again the creator set up Odoh who shot wide. Odoh would be some player if he had an end product!

Kelly again was at the centre of another Dale chance and he played a corner to Morley, who fresh from his last minute winner from a similar distance two weeks ago, smashed his effort, over the Sandy Lane stand and probably over the cemetery and half way up towards Norden. Not his finest effort.

Callum Roberts had a couple of efforts for the visitors , the first was blocked while the second was hit straight at Lynch.

Abraham Odoh was causing the Notts County defence problems and with just less than an hour gone, he squared for Jake Beesley who really should have scored but Patterson did well. It was a poor finish from Bees in all honesty. A really good chance to put the game to bed.

Fook off Chalky!

Typically, Dale were made to rue that missed chance as Notts County equalised on 61 minutes. Now if I tell you it was from a corner, would you be surprised? No, of course not. God knows why we are so consistently shite at defending set-pieces but we are. A simple corner was floated in and Kyle Wootton got above not only Dorsett and O’Connell but Lynch as well who came for the cross and didn’t get their first. A simple header and a catalogue of errors. Another awful goal to concede but we can’t say we aren’t used to that.

Dale made their first and only change on 64 minutes when Conor Grant replaced Stephen Dooley.

Matty Palmer hit a shot over the bar from distance with about 15 minutes left while Ruben Rodrigues did pretty much exactly the same about five minutes later as County went in search of the winner.

Fook off Chalky!

With time running out, Dale began to really push forward and it seemed for all the world like Dale should have been given a penalty. For me, having seen the replay, I think it’s a stonewall penalty but Ross Joyce wasn’t interested. The ball was played forward and Beesley nodded the ball down for Conor Grant who jinked past Richard Brindley who dived in and caught Grant who was in a great position to get a shot away. Nothing doing and to add insult to injury, O’Keeffe was booked for dissent in the aftermath.

Dale had one last chance on 92 minutes when Eoghan O’Connell off all people stepped up to hit a free kick but his effort was straight at Patterson despite being well hit.

The full time whilst went and Dale will have to try again down at Meadow Lane in just over a weeks time to confirm their place in round two.

Fook off Chalky!

PLAYER RATINGS:

Jay Lynch — 6 (Poor for their goal but otherwise decent)

Corey O’Keeffe — 7 (Great goal and could have had another)

Sam Graham — 5 (Thought he looked a bit sloppy)

Eoghan O’Connell — 7 (Could have done better with the goal but excellent apart from that)

Jeriel Dorsett — 6 (One of his better game perhaps)

Jimmy Keohane — 6 (Nothing much to write about for Swiss Army Jimmy)

Aaron Morley — 5 (Gave the ball away far too much)

Liam Kelly — 7 (What I want Aaron Morley to be)

Stephen Dooley — 6 (Did alright on his return)

ABRAHAM ODOH — 7 (Caused havoc at times and did well, probably just shades my man of the match)

Jake Beesley — 6 (Should have scored but did work hard as always)

SUBS:

Conor Grant — 6 (Anonymous apart from the penalty shout and a couple of lovely touches)

Chalky - Fook off

Photo: Action Images

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