Rather like many parents will be doing when their offspring return to school we have to ask "What did we learn on our first day back?"

We re-learned an age old rule that the bookies are very rarely wrong. Peterborough have been installed as favourites to win our league and on this showing you can see why. Strong at the back, productive in midfield and very dangerous up front.A good side and a big squad.

We learned in consequence that though "money can't buy you love"  it can buy you a pretty decent football team and with the backing of a millionaire owner Peterborough are going places this year.

Dale as you would expect grafted as if their lives depended on it but in truth with key players missing or not fully match fit didn't really trouble their hosts too often.

As ever Keith Hill was honest in his assessment saying "We were obviously beaten by the better team but I am not happy with the way that we defended. The goals were definitely defendable with better positioning and taking a little more personal responsibility. We knew that Petereborough is an hard ask but we asked the question.We didn't play as well as we can but you saw why I feel that Peterborough are a very good side.They played well from 1st to last minute and were always a threat"

After a quiet opening with both sides feeling each other out Dale fell behind. the troublesome Aaron McLean picked up the ball wide on the left and fed the onrushing Josh Low who having dropped his shoulder to avoid a challenge rifled the ball past James Spencer from 20 yards.

Dale didn't drop their heads and skipper Gary Jones fired wide before Chris Dagnall came agonisingly close to converting a terrific Tom Kennedy cross"

What would be the killer goal came in the final minutes of the half. A seemimgly hopeful ball forward from the back was allowed to make it's way into the Dale box and when Spencer hesitated momentarily McLean pounced to steer the ball past him.

Virtually immediately after the restart Hill changed things around bringing on Glenn Murray and Nathan D'laryea and switching to 3-4-3,and though it had a immediate effect it only sparked the home side into frantic action. Spencer tipped away a George Boyd effort and when the subsequent corner wasn't full cleared Chris Whelpdale rattled a shot against the bar, from the follow up Low's downward shot hit the underside of the bar and somehow Rory McArdle hooked it clear from on the line.

Adam LeFondre had a half chance to reduce the arrears but hesitated to get off his shot and having worked another opening curled his effort wide.

This would be the last of Dale's threats but in the dying minutes substitute Danny Crow who always seems to score against us was presented with an unmissable close range chance by Low and duly obliged.

Losing to Peterborough is certainly not the end of the world as few sides will escape London Road this season with points. Keith Hill has never lost 2 games in a row so bounce back time will be a Cup win over Stoke City on Tuesday-we hope.