Dale missed out on a potentially lucrative third round tie when they lost to Conference outfit Forest Green, but Spotland chief Keith Hill insists the disappointment must not ruin their season.
"We've got to move on," he said. "We went out of the cup with probably our worst performance of the season. It was just not acceptable. The lads know that they let the fans and themselves down and I'm part of that.
"We all have to take responsibility and ensure we move on positively. Our league form is good and we had a great response from the players in training on Monday.
"Perhaps the defeat did us a favour by bringing us down to earth. We will be looking for a positive response at Darlington on Saturday.
"We have not experienced a losing sequence in the last two years so while we have all reflected on the FA Cup defeat, it's time to move on."
Striker Lee McEvilly, who arrived on loan from Cambridge last week, will boost Hill's attacking options ahead of Saturday's clash with Darlington.
"It is a totally different club to my first spell here," he said. "The sports science has really kicked in. I am up for selection for Saturday and if I get the chance I can't wait to pull on the shirt."
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