MORECAMBE staged a late comeback to snatch a point through Michael Twiss after having to sustain a lot of pressure from a confident Rochdale side.
Morecambe had to weather an early onslaught as the home side attacked in numbers and at pace.
But weather it they did and the first real chance fell to the visitors after 18 minutes when Michael Twiss turned his marker inside and out before hittin
g a fierce left footer that was deflected just wide.
From the corner the ball was cleared back out to Gary Hunter who beat his full-back before whipping the ball across the face of goal from where Stewart Drummond and Dave Artell both failed to connect.
Rochdale continued to apply the pressure, though, and forced a succession of corners that needed some determined defending from the Shrimps back line.
As half time approached it looked like the home side's pressure had paid off when Chris Dagnall made room on the edge of the box to skim a low shot through a crowded area to hit the bottom of the post.
But it didn't take long after the break for Rochdale to press home their advantage when Will Buckley wasn't closed down just inside the box and he had time to slide a shot past Barry Roche for a 49th minute lead.
But Morecambe responded well and pushed forward, Neil Wainwright just firing over after cutting in from the left and hitting a curler with his right foot.
At the other end Roche had to get down smartly to block a 25 yard drive from Ciaran Toner.
Rene Howe returned quicker than expected from a hamstring injury and replaced young Aaron Taylor with just under 20 minutes left.
And the sub could have scored with his first touch when Adam Yates' free kick was nodded back across goal byArtell but Howe didn't go in strongly enough and his header went tamely wide.
It looked like Dale had doubled their lead on 80 minutes when Nicky Adams squared for sub Lee Thorpe to tap in but Roche somehow managed to palm it off the line.
It surprised Dale fans, many of whom were still celebrating the goal seconds later - even the match announcer was caught by surprise, pressing the button to start the 'goal celebration' music before hurriedly switching it off again.
The big keeper got down well again in the next minute, this time denying Adams.
Having survived those scares Howe should have nicked an equaliser when he was played in cleverly by Curtis but side-footed his shot an inch wide with just the keeper to beat.
But the visitors continued to throw men forward and got their reward in the last minute of normal time. Rochdale failed to clear a corner and Curtis prodded it back into the box for Twiss to nip in and hook a shot past Fielding for a late, great equaliser.
Morecambe were able to name an unchanged side from the one that eased to victory over Chester on Saturday.
Gary Hunter passed a fitness test and took his place in midfield with Wayne Curtis also alongside him in place of the injured pair of Fraser McLachlan and Craig Stanley.
Michael Twiss and Aaron Taylor started up front.
Rochdale: Fielding, Ramsden, Kennedy, McArdle, Wiseman, Jones, Toner, Adams, Thompson, Dagnall (Thorpe 72), Buckley (Rundle 83).
Subs: Le Fondre, McEvilly, Keltie.
Morecambe: Roche, Yates, Artell, Bentley, Twiss, Hunter, Curtis, Wainwright, Drummond, Taylor (Howe 69), Adams.
Subs: O'Carroll, Davies, McStay, Bell.
Booked: Artell
Att: 3,347
