Rochdale 0 – 2 Wigan Athletic

Rochdale made it no wins in seven in the league as they came up against a Wigan side in a rich vein of form. Jason Pearce headed home unchallenged from a free-kick to open the scoring and the points were sealed just after the hour mark, Michael Jacobs finished well after a swift counter attack.

Keith Hill made four changes from the midweek defeat to Morecambe in the Football League Trophy. Josh Lillis, Callum Camps, Peter Vincenti and Joe Bunney were all given the nod.

Wigan, who are still receiving parachute payments after their relegation from the Premier League in 2013, arrived at Spotland looking to close the gap on the top two and sporting their new loan signing, Alex Revell from Cardiff City.

Wigan full back Donervon Daniels was the first to test Lillis in the Rochdale goal; his powerful drive was well beaten away by the Dale stopper.

Craig Davies will feel he should have done better when he dragged his shot across the face of goal.

The opening goal will have disappointed the Dale manager as Pearce ran in unmarked from a Wigan free-kick to glance home from close range.

Rochdale started the second half well and had a have chance five minutes after the re-start. Rose’s ball into the area was spilled by Jaskeleinan but Bunney hooked the ball over the bar from six yards out.

Dale were starting to get a real hold of the game but were hit with a sucker punch. Daniels long raking ball towards Wildshut tore the Dale backline apart with the winger pulling the ball back to the edge of the area where Jacobs was on hand to finish well off the underside of the crossbar.

Jaskeleneinan in the Wigan goal hadn’t really been tested, although he got down well to save a Bunney strike in the closest Dale got to netting what would have been a consolation.

Former Dale player Dave Perkins saw a powerful strike from 25 yards pushed away by Lillis in stoppage time.

Attendance: 3,835

Rochdale: Lillis, Cannon (McDermott 81), Eastham, McNulty, Tanser, Bennett, Rose (Henderson 62), Camps, Vincenti (c), Mendez-Laing (Andrew 62), Bunney
Subs: (not used) Diba, Kennedy, Lancashire, Alessandra

Wigan: Jaskeleinan, Daniels, Pearce, Morgan (c), James (McCann 37), Wildshut, Power (Chow 80), Perkins, Jacobs, Davies (Cowie 62), Revell
Subs: (not used) O’Donnell, Grigg, Junior, Barnett

Referee: Mr N Swarbrick
Assistants: Mr D Eaton & Mr A Haliday
Fourth Official: Mr G Salisbury