After a goalless first half, Tobi Adebayo-Rowling cancelled out a United opener, with Levi Amantchi crashing one off the woodwork with almost the last action of the game.
Before kick-off, there was an emotional tribute to Joe Thompson, as everyone inside the Crown Oil Arena joined in with a minute’s applause for the Dale legend and United Academy alumni.
Both sides were keen to keep possession early on, with the first real chance of the game falling Dale’s way, as Kyron Gordon glanced Ryan East’s corne wide.
A big moment was created by Dale’s high press minutes later, as Barlow won the ball and found Tobi Adebayo-Rowling on the right side. He stood up a cross into the middle for Emmanuel Dieseruvwe, whose header was superbly saved by goalkeeper Cameron Byrne-Hughes. Barlow then fired the follow-up over the bar.
Devante Rodney swept Joe Pritchard’s low cross wide, whilst Barlow saw a shot well blocked.
At the other end, James Scanlon sent a long-range effort over with United’s only effort on Oliver Whatmuff’s goal.
Pritchard had a header held, and Dieseruvwe saw a goal chalked off after he was adjudged to have fouled the goalkeeper.
Moments later, on the stroke of half-time, the Dale striker was upended by the goalkeeper, but the referee waved away any penalty claims.
After the break, Rodney did well to find space before firing a shot from the edge of the area narrowly wide, before Dieseruvwe headed off target.
Scanlon headed wide, and Beckwith hit a powerful effort off target, shortly before the visitors opened the scoring.
Ethan Ennis broke away down right and into the area, firing clinically in at the near post beyond Whatmuff.
The Dale stopper then denied a curling effort from former loanee Sam Mather and saw a Scanlon effort fly over his crossbar.
An equaliser came in the 73rd minute. After neat play down the left, Pritchard sent in a cross which evaded almost everybody, before Adebayo-Rowling met it at the back post to slam home.
Dale had the ball in the net again just three minutes later, but Dieseruvwe was flagged offside after nodding home East’s squared ball.
Our number nine then headed over substitute Tarryn Allarakhia’s cross, whilst fellow substitute Amantchi had a shot blocked inside the area.
Amantchi almost scored a winner in added time, shifting the ball onto his left foot after receiving a pass from East, before unleashing a shot from the edge of the area that cannoned off the underside of the crossbar.
Dale XI | Whatmuff, Gordon, East, Ebanks-Landell ©, Gilmour (90+1’ Pettit), Dieseruvwe, Rodney (81’ Amantchi), Adebayo-Rowling, Pritchard (77’ Allarakhia), Barlow (90+1’ Henderson), Beckwith (88’ Tutonda).
Unused subs | Myles, Hogan, Moss, Edwards, Humbles.
Scorers | 73’ Adebayo-Rowling.
Manchester United XI | Byrne-Hughes, Kamason, Devaney ©, Armer, Amass, Fletcher, Ennis, Bauman (65’ Fitzgerald), Biancheri, Scanlon, Mather.
Unused subs | Mills, Trialist, McAllister.
Scorers | 61’ Ennis.
Attendance | 1,756.
