TO the list of venues from which Rochdale have returned with a solitary point, having created enough chances to earn all three, we can now add Morecambe.

Performances have promised much and earned praise, the football admirable up to the point where it comes to applying the finishing touch.

To talk of Dale deserving more from these matches is to gloss over the fact that Keith Hill’s team have developed a habit of dropping points on the road.

Grimsby, Rotherham and Lincoln have all been let off the hook so far this season so there was an air of familiarity at Christie Park on Saturday where once again Dale were left to rue missed opportunities and the failure to keep a clean sheet.

The visitors dominated the first half and should have been home and hosed by the break.

Instead, they succumbed to a reasonably well worked goal from Morecambe three minutes into the second half and once again failed to capitalise on opponents there for the taking having grabbed the lead – just as they did at Rotherham and Lincoln.

As the manager suggested afterwards, Dale are in danger of becoming also-rans if they do not address the problem soon.

Chris Dagnall was given the nod to partner Lee Thorpe up front with Hill instructing his troops to take advantage of a Morecambe side thumped 5-0 last weekend.

Scott Wiseman was preferred to Marcus Holness at right back while Joe Thompson came in for Will Buckley on the right.

The hosts were sharp in the tackle but nervy in possession during what was a scrappy opening 10 minutes. Gary Jones had the first shot of the day charged down on 12 minutes after good work from Dagnall and Joe Thompson on the right and two minutes later Tom Kennedy had a deflected freekick zip narrowly wide of Barry Roche’s upright.

Rochdale had the lead with 18 minutes on the clock, Kennedy’s teasing cross from the left tempting Roche off his line but the goalkeeper was caught in no man’s land, Thompson heading towards goal and Dagnall converting from three yards. There was some confusion between the referee and linesman as to whether Dagnall was offside when he applied the finish, but after an exchange of glances the goal stood.

It was almost two in the 26th minute when Jones fired from distance and Roche parried into the path of Thorpe. He shot first time against Roche’s legs, the ball running to him again, but once more the Shrimps’ stopper denied Dale.

Debutant striker Aaron Taylor had an opportunity to pull Morecambe level when Craig Stanley picked him out with a back post cross, the youngster passing up the chance by mistiming his header and allowing Sam Russell to save.

Roche saved again when Russell’s big kick through the middle saw Thorpe in the clear, the goalkeeper racing out of his area to bravely head clear.

Henry McStay volleyed Stanley’s corner over the bar just before the break but at half time it was advantage Dale.

However, Morecambe were back in it just three minutes into the second half when Rene Howe’s cross was firmly planted past Russell by Taylor’s head.

Dale were dealt another blow minutes later when Nathan Stanton was forced off the field after a foul by Stewart Drummond, Holness replacing him.

Howe drifted past Kennedy in the 55th minute only to see his low drive blocked by man of the match Rory McArdle, while at the other end Will Buckley’s cross somehow evaded both Thorpe and Jones in the Morecambe six-yard box.

McStay headed Stanley’s freekick wide and Russell had to head clear when Howe challenged for a ball on the edge of the box, but chances were increasingly rare for both teams.

It took Dale a while to find their stride in the second half but substitute Buckley sent a curling attempt over the top and Kennedy’s freekick forced a good save from Roche midway through the half.

Buckley went down in the box after a challenge from Adam Yates, referee Boyeson rightly waving the penalty claims away, and Stanley had a shot saved by Russell in the 81st minute.

Dale finished strongly and went close when Adam Le Fondre’s deflected effort was tipped over the bar by Roche, but neither side genuinely looked like snatching the win at that stage.

Hill was spot on afterwards when he suggested the game had been a forgettable affair.