Manager Jim McNulty praised his Rochdale side for overcoming adversity in recovering from two goals down to earn a 2-2 draw at home against Tranmere.
Dale fell behind to a bizarre goal in the 19th minute.
Liam Kelly’s back pass was heading wide of the goal until goalkeeper Richard O’Donnell, in attempting to control the ball, sliced it into his own net – although, according to McNulty, the Dale stopper never touched it.
Rovers doubled their lead 11 minutes into the second half when Jimmy Keohane was penalised by referee Scott Tallis – taking charge of his first Football League fixture – for a challenge on Harvey Saunders and Josh Hawkes stroked home from the penalty spot.
Danny Lloyd pulled one back after 69 minutes and Ethan Ebanks-Landell’s header two minutes into stoppage time salvaged a draw.
McNulty said: “I’m pleased with a point and pleased to have come from behind again, two goals behind, in what I felt were adverse circumstances.
“Addressing Tranmere’s first goal, at first I thought Richard O’Donnell had taken a bad touch with the outside of his foot.
“I knew the ball was travelling outside the line of the goal. Only when he got into the changing rooms did he and the rest of the players tell me he never took a touch – it actually hit the rugby posts holder, a little rubber lip that sticks up slightly above the ground.
“Rich and the players told me it deviated off that rubber lip on its way back to him and goes into the net.
“You shouldn’t laugh but I almost had to laugh because I thought how else can we be tested in this spell. We’re bottom of the Football League, facing real adversity.
“When we went one down the ground was very agitated but the players kept trying to play in a way we think can work.
“We then faced another decision we thought was incorrect for the penalty and the ref apologised to me after the game.
“The fact the players came back from that to get a 2-2 draw shows how much fight they have.”
Tranmere caretaker boss Ian Dawes was unhappy with the way his team let Rochdale back into the game.
He said: “It was very disappointing because up until they scored their first goal we were massively in control, creating chances and should have scored another one at least.
“We were getting into areas where we should have created more opportunities where it just fizzled out but we had loads of territory and should have put the game to bed.
“We’d warned the players at half time not to let standards slip because these are the type of game that you can be in control of but if you let the opposition get a goal then they can come back on you and that’s exactly what happened.”
