Three changes for the visitors.

Andy Butler has sent on Alfie Beestin, Kian Scales and Ross Barrows.

Ollie Ewing, Pat Jones and Jean Belehouan are the men withdrawn.

Calvin Andrew
Ex-Rochdale, Mansfield and Port Vale forward on Squad Goals

You feel there is more goals in this now for Rochdale but there is still that threat of overconfidence.

Nearly a real muff from keeper Ollie Whatmuff as he races to the edge of his box to gather a through ball intended for Declan Howe.

The keeper mishandles initially and then grabs it at the second attempt, right over the whitewash at the edge of the box.

The travelling fans howl for an infringement but nothing doing, says ref Jamie O'Connor.

Dale go straight down the other end and Devante Rodney has the chance of a second, picking up a pass, driving forward and showing good strength to hold off his marker before firing in a shot from just inside the box which is beaten away by keeper Louis Jones.

Good response from the Iron as Callum Roberts is picked out by a diagonal ball on the right.

He bustles to the byline and pulls the ball back to right-back Jean Belehouan but he can only prod rather tamely at Ollie Whatmuff who gathers at his near post.

Calvin Andrew
Ex-Rochdale forward on BBC Radio Manchester

Scunthorpe have looked so disjointed.

It has been fantastic for Rochdale to get that second goal and take the sting out of the game.

Steve Torpey
Former Scunthorpe striker on BBC Radio Humberside

It is just sloppy play from Scunthorpe to give the ball away but it is a super finish from Devante Rodney into the far corner.

Rochdale are a good team and you just can't give them these opportunities.

It is now a massive up-hill task.

Hugely ambitious from Dale sub Casey Pettit as he tries his luck with a 35-yard blast from the centre of the pitch but sends the ball sailing high over Louis Jones' crossbar.

Real scrap in the Dale box as Pat Jones fizzes in a cross from the left byeline which flicks off a defender and loops towards Declan Howe, with Ollie Whatmuff coming off his line to claw it behind under pressure from the striker, though the corner comes to nought.

Just a touch sloppy and maybe a sign of the growing pressure as both teams take some loose touches in the middle of the field and then Luke Hannant drifts offside on the left flank and his keeper Ollie Whatmuff, er, muffs a clearing kick straight into the stands in his own half.

Calvin Andrew
Ex-Rochdale forward on BBC Radio Manchester

Rochdale have started this half in the right vein. Pressing well, closing things down and looking good.

But if they don't take their chances there is always that danger of Scunthorpe getting back into it.

Dale keeper Ollie Whatmuff gets barged over by Declan Howe in the follow-through after a clearing kick and ref Jamie O'Connor shows the Iron sub a yellow card.

That really should be 2-0.

Luke Hannant pounces on a bouncing ball in the Iron half as defender Jean Belehouan dawdles and bursts through on goal, to the edge of the box, only to bend his shot past Louis Jones but also past his far post.

Rochdale kept Scunthorpe waiting on the pitch for a good few minutes, but we're finally under way for the second half.

One of these sides will be at Wembley in seven days from now, you expect the other will not be able to watch that match.

We're 45 minutes (and who knows, maybe more) away from knowing who...

Image source, Getty Images

You wonder if Rochdale might have a touch of stress when thinking back to last weekend.

They have a narrow lead and have looked the likelier to score a second, but they have not managed it, and you feel like the Iron will ramp up the pressure in this second half.

Dale just need some breathing space.

Players are heading back out... well, the Scunthorpe ones at least. Did Andy Butler send them out early, or are Rochdale playing mind games?

We're at the point of the National League season where a matter of minutes can change a club forever.

Will it be Rochdale? Or Scunthorpe? Or Boreham Wood, who have already booked their spot at Wembley next Saturday by winning 2-1 at Carlisle earlier?

Since the 2002-03 revamp, not a single team promoted from the National League to League Two has been relegated straight back down the following season.

In fact, of the 43 different clubs promoted in that time, only 18 have dropped back into the National League at all in the subsequent seasons - and two of those came yesterday afternoon, with Harrogate and Barrow suffering relegation from League Two.

And never mind regression, most promoted clubs have actually progressed further up the pyramid.

Of those 43, 24 have played at least a single season in League One, six have gone as high as the Championship and one (Luton) has even played in the Premier League.

Calvin Andrew
Ex-Rochdale forward on BBC Radio Manchester

It was a fantastic start from Rochdale to combat the physicality of Scunthorpe.

After the goal things got a little stagnant.

Rochdale made a few mistakes at the back and have been their own worst enemy at times.