Darlington dropped another two points this evening after a last gasp equaliser form former Quaker Rory Prendergast gave an attacking minded Rochdale the point they deserved. The Julian Joachim and Tommy Wright combination was again Dave Penney's salvation as they linked up to give the host a second half lead.

Any supporters returning after Saturday will have been pleasantly surprised by the start the Quakers made creating a host of chances from the off. After just twelve seconds Wright glanced a header narrowly wide from Gregg Blundell's cross and before even a minute was played out Rob Purdie, reverted to right back, watched as his speculative pile driver flew narrowly over the top from thirty yards.

Dave Penney's men continued their reprieve and looked sharp and enthusiastic in the early stages, the best chance of the first half falling after seven minutes as Wright and Blundell both flung themselves in at the back post trying to latch onto Joachim's darting ball across the box after some very tidy and patient build up play involving Neil Wainwright, operating as a left winger in his first start of the season, Blundell and Michael Cummins.

The hosts also had a decent penalty shout turned down after eleven minutes when Wright was sent to the ground by Rory McArdle's challenge from behind on the edge of the six yard box. However as the game settled Quakers created less and Rochdale showed the potent attacking threat at Keith Hill's disposal by causing numerous problems, assisted by the far too often sloppy ball retention and clearing-of-the-lines by the home side.

Ben Muirhead's delivery is enough to undo any defence in the basement league and had it not been for some alert keeping from the again impressive Andy Oakes then dale would almost certainly have gone in half time with the lead. His first chance to threaten from a corner almost resulted in a bizarre own goal as Alan White skewed a header, unchallenged, narrowly over his own bar and Oakes twice punched teasing inswingers from the former Bradford man wide of his goal under significant pressure from Glen Murray patrolling Oakes like a guardsman to the crown jewels.

Darlington are all too wise to the threat of Adam Le Fondre; the zippy striker caused no end of hell playing off the shoulder in games last season. His pace was again too hot to handle on occasions, notably on the quarter of an hour mark as he tickled the ball through Tim Ryan's legs on the byline before laying on a platter for Gary Jones but the journey man completely mistimed his shot and barely connected at all in the end.

Soon after Jones almost made amends in the form of an absolute fizzer off his laces which dipped just over, and was much closer than the static Oakes would have you believe. Oakes had looked very composed over his last 120 minutes or so in the sticks but he was left completely exposed as Le Fondre for once got through Steve Foster and White and went sprawling just inside the box in a scene not to uncommon to Oakes after his dismissal in the opening game of the season. But Oakes was let off big time on this occasion and Le Fondre was harshly booked for diving by Mr Boyeson.

Oakes showed his experience soon after and pulled of two top class stops. First an acrobatic fling to his right to fist Jones' lightning half volley out for a corner and again from a blistering Muirhead blunderbuster after the Darlo defence failed three times to clear their liens properly.

The home side badly needed some fresh impetus or alternatively would have to rely on something special from Joachim again. Joachim almost came through for them just before the break incidentally laying on for Cummins after some tricky play in from the right but the number 8, who got forward much more today, hit his effort easily wide. But Joachim was not to be denied on his next advance narrowly beating the offside trap on the right flank before pinging an inch perfect delivery to the back post for the bulldozer right to crash into the roof of the net with the quintessential bullet header.

The game was opening up and both sides came mighty close to shooting themselves in the foot. An Arsenal penalty style free kick by Rochdale allowed Wainwright to bring the ball out and he did so like a ballerina in pair of football boots beating everyone who came in his path before laying the ball out wide for Blundell but the short-of-confidence workhorse fired his cross goal shot wide of the post. Wright came close to doubling the advantage with a powerful header that had James Spencer sprawling towards his top corner before five minutes of complete craziness in the Darlington defence.

Having just replaced their wingmen, bringing Prendergast and Kallum Higgingbothan on for Muirhead and Adam Rundle, it was the latter who zipped a unplayable ball into the six yard box leaving Steve Foster in no mans land facing is own goal charging back resulting in the skipper thumping the ball smack against the inside of his own crossbar and watched it rattle back out. It was huge let off but the luck ran out for Quakers in the end. For the third consecutive game Darlington conceded right at the death and deprive themselves of a much needed result.

Murray's flick on this occasion the Darlo undoing as Prendergast met at the back post to snatch victory from his former loan club. The final nail in the coffin was knocking at the door with moments of the four minutes stoppage time left .Tom Kennedy's long range free kick whistled over the top of the bar and could have quite easily of gone in on another day. More disappointment for the Quakers with another two points snatched from their grasp in the dying moment.

Darlington: Oakes, Purdie, Foster, White, Ryan, Wainwright, Keltie (Ravenhill 76), Cummins, Blundell, Wright, Joachim. Subs: Brooks-Meade, Miller, Wiseman, McBride, Ravenhill.

Rochdale: Spencer, Lomax, McArdle, Kennedy, Perkins, Muirhead (Thompson 64), Jones, Doolan, Rundle (Prendergast 64), Le Fondre, Murray. Subs: Russell, Higginbotham, Holness, Prendergast, Thompson.

Darlington bookings: Foster.

Rochdale bookings: Le Fondre, Prendergast.

Goals: Wright 59th min (1-0), Prendergast 88th min (1-1).

Report by Garry Mann.