Barnet went down 2-1 at Spotland this afternoon and despite a second half rally Rochdale managed to maintain their excellent home record this season, this being their fifth victory on home soil.
Gary Breen, Albert Adomah and Paul Furlong returned to the fray after stepping aside on Tuesday for the JPT tie at Charlton.
Barnet opened the brighter with Adomah making some characteristic mazy runs and it was against the run of play that the Dale took the lead in the 11th minute. Chris Dagnall took the ball directly towards the Barnet goal and once he found himself in the box he tucked away the chance he had created for himself.
The home side then set about trying to extend their lead with Dagnall again going close and Simon Whalley scuffing a good chance at the far post with Jake Cole being the busier of the two keepers.
As half time approached Adomah was played through, but the angle was too acute and from the resulting rebound John O'Flynn was just unable to profit from a good Barnet move.
Instead of the Bees drawing level Barnet went two down when Breen was adjudged to have committed a foul against Will Buckley and a penalty was awarded, Tom Kennedy converting.
The wing play of Adomah and Yannick Bolasie gave the Bees hope for a second half revival and augmented by the industry of Mark Hughes Barnet certainly set about their task with vigour and endeavour in the second period.
Barnet were unlucky not to reduce the deficit when substitute Albert Jarrett hit the base of a post from a free kick and Furlong connected well from a Jarrett centre, but his powerful effort was directed into the body of Kenny Arthur, the Dale keeper.
Cole needed to be alert to deny Gary Jones in one of the few efforts that the home side managed to muster in the second half.
With less than five minutes of normal time remaining a Bolasie corner was met by Jake Hyde whose volley ripped into the back of the net to give the Bees some hope of a point.
Breen was pushed forward in an attempt to bolster the Barnet attack and he was unfortunate that an off side decision went against him when it seemed that he had timed his run to perfection.
The second half display warranted the applause directed toward the players at the final whistle but the task that they had set themselves, to come back after going two goals down, was one that on this occasion was too big an ask.
The Bees play Burton Albion at the Pirelli Stadium next week.
David Bloomfield.