JUST the response Keith Hill was looking for. Awful on Saturday against Dagenham and Redbridge, Dale confined that performance to the waste bin and wiped the slate clean with a rousing, brave display in which they stood toe to toe with League One opposition, proving more than a match for John Ward’s team.

Former Dale loanee Danny Livesey started in defence for Carlisle and he was called into action early on when a loose ball ran kindly for Chris Dagnall. The striker went through on goal but delayed his shot just long enough for Livesey to get a foot in and deflect it wide.

Carlisle were more clinical, their first opportunity of the evening coming with only four minutes on the clock. A miscued clearance from Marcus Holness left Jennison Myrie-Williams with space on the left and he advanced towards the byline, cutting the ball back for Micheal Bridges who rifled a shot into the top corner of Sam Russell’s net from eight yards.

On the back of Saturday’s sorry showing, that blow could have been crucial to the outcome of the match, but this was the more familiar, spirited Dale side we have come to know and they bounced back quickly.

Lee Thorpe controlled a high ball on his chest before sending Adam Rundle away down the right. Rundle beat Evan Horwood all ends up and picked out a super cross to the back post where Thorpe guided a powerful downward header beyond Ben Williams in the Cumbrians’ goal.

The driving rain was making the pitch particularly heavy, but Dale hearts were lifted in the 15th minute when Dagnall netted the home side’s second. Racing onto an underhit back pass from Horwood, Dagnall clipped the ball round Williams, checked inside Livesey and slotted home a confident finish which belied his recent run of poor form.

Thompson tried his luck from 25 yards with a stinging drive which Williams could only parry, Dagnall unable to control the rebound which, in fairness, came at him at great pace.

Superb work from the dominant Thorpe, flicking the ball on to Dagnall, paved the way to another Dale chance. Dagnall teed up Gary Jones for a shot from 18 yards which the overworked Williams did well to keep out. Dale were battering the opposition defence, Thorpe in particular bullying the Carlisle defence into submission and winning more than his share in the air.

Nevertheless, on a rare foray forward, Carlisle almost benefited from some indecision by Holness. The defender took a touch as Russell came to clear and almost presented Myrie-Williams with an open goal, recovering quickly to rescue the situation.

Russell saved well when Bridges raced on to a fine reverse pass from Josh Gowling, while at the other end Thorpe’s rising drive flew inches wide of the target when the Carlisle defence opened up for him.

In the 39th minute Dagnall was through on goal again but opted to square the ball instead of shooting, Richard Keogh managing to get a foot on the ball to prevent Jones hitting the target.

Bridges had a real chance to level the scores in the 42nd minute when teed up by Danny Graham, but from a central position his blast flew wide of the upright.

The same player was unlucky minutes into the second period when he raced on to Danny Graham’s pass and shot on target only for Russell to pull off a tremendous save, palming the effort onto the foot of the post and out to safety.

Thompson sent Dagnall away down the right channel and he got ahead of his marker only to be denied by Williams’ save, while minutes later Adam Rundle really should have done better with Dagnall’s pull back but scuffed his attempt wide.

It seemed those missed chances had come back to haunt the hosts when Carlisle drew level in the 71st minute. Gary Madine’s long range drive took a deflection off Nathan Stanton, completely bamboozling Russell and flying into the net.

Le Fondre and Rundle both went close to clinching a late win for Dale, but the tie was decided by penalties.

Carlisle first – Grant Smith hitting the foot of the post. The Rochdale efforts were all convincing – Clark Keltie, Le Fondre, Jones and Ciaran Toner in particular – before Simon Hackney stepped forward and thumped his penalty against the woodwork, settling the issue once and for all.

Match facts

Rochdale: Russell, Holness (Keltie 90+2), Stanton, McArdle, Kennedy (Wiseman 46), Thompson, Jones, Toner, Rundle, Thorpe, Dagnall (Le Fondre 79). Subs not used: Higginbotham, Spencer

Carlisle: Williams, Horwood, Livesey, Graham (Madine 63), Carlton, Thirlwell (Smith 27), Joyce, Myrie-Williams (Hackney 71), Gowling, Bridges, Keogh. Subs not used: Raven, Howarth

Referee: N Miller

Attendance: 1,608