Exeter City's losing run extended to five matches as they went down to a 3-1 defeat at Rochdale.
The Grecians did well for large parts of the game, but Michael Rose's brilliant free kick gave them a half-time advantage. Alan Gow levelled within seconds of the re-start, but that was as good as it got for the Grecians as Graham Cummins and Andrew Tutte scored to claim the win for the home side.
Exeter manager Paul Tisdale promised changes after the disappointing defeat to Southend and he was true to his word, although they were perhaps not what was expected. Tisdale showed his faith in his experienced players with youngsters Matt Grimes and Matt Jay making way for John O'Flynn and Gow.
It was a very adventurous and attack-minded line-up with three up front, but the opening stages belonged to Rochdale. Scot Bennett made a timely intervention with Cummins lurking dangerously behind him, but chances were few and far between.
Exeter has valid penalty claims rejected when a corner found its way to Matt Gill and his cross struck the arm of a Dale defender.
Former Yeovil defender Rose delivered a fine cross for Scott Hogan, but his glanced header went wide of goal and another ex-Glover, Tutte, was off target with a shot from distance.
Ian Henderson crossed for Cummins, but his header was easy for Krysiak and from an incisive Rochdale break Pat Baldwin was booked for bringing down Hogan 20 yards from goal. From the resulting free kick, Rose curled a lovely shot over the wall and inside Krysiak's near post to open the scoring six minutes before half-time.
Exeter's response was good and O'Flynn had a sniff at goal when Rose's clearance was blocked by Gow and ricocheted across the face of goal and straight to the Irishman. But his control was poor and the chance went begging.
Gow was off target with a shot from 25 yards, although he was clearly being pulled back as he shaped to shoot. The referee, who hadn't given Exeter much in that first half, saw nothing wrong and duly blew for half-time.
City needed a good start to the second half and they got exactly that. Less than 30 seconds had passed when O'Flynn got in down the left and pulled the ball back to Gow, whose shot was too strong for Josh Lillis in the Dale goal.
Gow then screwed another shot wide of the near post as Dale struggled to contain a City side that had switched to a 3-4-3 shape. Scot Bennett had shifted into midfield and as the Grecians continued to impress, O'Flynn fired wide after more good work by an increasingly influential Gow.
Rochdale did threaten when Henderson was afforded far too much space on the Exeter left and his cross-shot was well dealt with at his near post by Krysiak. Then Hogan dragged a shot narrowly wide from 20 yards before Sercombe done similar at the other end for Exeter.
However, Dale went back in front on 65 minutes when Rafferty's cross caught the City defence flat-footed and Cummins drifted in at the back post to head home. City were incensed that a foul had not been given on Gow just moments before and changed things by replacing Parkin with Dave Wheeler.
Bennett, who was now playing up front, set up an opportunity for Gow with a lovely deft header, but the Scot's shot was high and wide and with 15 minutes remaining, he made way for Jimmy Keohane. Danny Butterfield then replaced Baldwin as Tisdale went for broke, but Exeter almost got done by Done when he went through on goal only for Danny Coles to make a crucial interception.
However, with three minutes remaining, Exeter were punished. Krysiak decided to stay at home when he should have come and collected a long ball forward and as Dale recycled the ball to Tutte on the corner of the penalty box, he curled a fine effort into the far corner to seal the win.
Rochdale (4-3-3): Lillis; Rafferty, Eastham, O'Connor, Rose; Tutte, Lancashire, Lund; Hogan (Done 80), Collins, Henderson. Substitutes (not used): Thomson, Vincenti, Hery, Dicker, Allen, Bunney.
Goals: Rose 39, Cummins 65, Tutte 87
Exeter City (4-3-3): Krysiak; Bennett, Baldwin (Butterfield 80), Coles, Woodman; Sercombe, Gill, Davies; O'Flynn, Parkin (Wheeler 68), Gow (Keohane 75). Substitutes (not used): Pym (gk), Doherty, Nichols, Moore-Taylor.
Goal: Gow 46
Booking: Baldwin
Referee: J Simpson (Lancashire).
Attendance: 2,428
