Rochdale 2 Oldham 0

TWO stoppage-time goals from Joe Rafferty and Daniel Adshead sent Oldham Athletic crashing out of the Checkatrade Trophy.

The Latics were reduced to 10 men not long after the restart when Mohammed Maouche was shown a straight red card for a challenge on Matthew Gillam.

The tie looked to be heading for penalties but the Dale were awarded a stoppage-time spot kick for handball which Rafferty converted, before Adshead put the tie beyond doubt with a cool finish on the counter to set up a third round tie against Manchester City's under-21s.

But despite the late manner of the loss, Latics boss Frankie Bunn praised his side's response after going down to 10 men and felt it was a pivotal moment.

"We’ve got so much spirit and belief in us that we’ll keep on fighting until the end. The supporters were great again, they were terrific. They get behind the lads, which is fantastic and there were a good number here," said Bunn.

"I’m just disappointed we haven’t come away with a positive result. Even to get to penalties would have been a positive for me, but there we go. You’re chasing the game and then they break and get the second one and that’s just us trying to get back in it.

“I thought we started really well and then I thought we had an indifferent spell where we struggled to put our foot on the ball and get a few passes in.

"I thought we were going to regroup at half time but the sending-off has obviously changed the game and that’s another questionable decision.

"Down to 10 men, they’ve worked their socks off and we’ve just lost out.

"We were starting to think of penalties and just one lapse of concentration from a set play where they’ve sent two out and we haven’t sent two out."

The first real chance of the game saw the Latics break forward and Gevaro Nepumuceno’s 18th-minute cross had to be diverted to safety by Magnus Norman with Sam Surridge lurking, while the stopper was alert to parry Cameron Dummigan’s powerful follow-up.

Brad Inman's 26th-minute shot was deflected and Ryan Delaney looped a header from the subsequent corner into Daniel Iversen’s arms.

Oliver Rathbone did well on the half-hour to wriggle his way into the box and cut back for a free Gillam who fired straight at a crowd of Oldham defenders as the chance went begging.

Some neat play from the Dale two minutes before the break ended with Rathbone working some space on the edge of the box and curling an effort just off target.

After the break, the Latics were reduced to 10 men when Maouche was shown a straight 51st-minute red card by referee Oliver Langford for a challenge on Gillam.

Keith Hill’s men nearly took the lead before the hour when Delaney’s header from Aaron Morley’s corner was cleared off the line by substitute Jordan Lyden.

Dale were inches away from taking the lead once more when Gillam’s scissor kick from Rafferty’s cross fizzed agonisingly wide.

The one-way traffic continued with chances going begging for Jordan Williams and Rathbone in the last 20 minutes, including a curling shot on the turn for the former which went inches wide.

Late drama saw Langford point to the spot for a 90th-minute penalty after Clarke's handball on an MJ Williams shot and Rafferty fired the low spot kick home.

And the Dale added a second not long after when Adshead broke clear on a counter attack to slot past Iversen.

Referee: Oliver Langford

Attendance: 1,854

Rochdale (4-2-3-1): Norman 5, Rafferty 7, MJ Williams 6, Delaney 7, Done 7, Perkins 7, Morley 7 (Adshead 85 6) , Gillam 7 (Yonsian 85 5), Rathbone 7, Inman 6, J Williams 6

Subs not used: Wade, Matheson, Hoti, Hamzat, Hopper

Oldham Athletic (4-4-2): Iversen 7, Dummigan 6 (Hamer 29 6), Clarke 7, Edmundson 7, Hunt 7, Lang 6, Missilou 7, Maouche 4, Nepomuceno 6 (Branger 87 5), O, Grady 6 (Lyden 54 6), Surridge 6

Subs not used: McFarlane, Coke, Miller, Graham