Although Adam El-Abd’s last minute winner sealed a comeback for 10-man Bury against Northampton, Flitcroft bemoaned the standard of the surface in a week when Shakers chairman Stewart Day reiterated their ambition for Championship football.

Bury kept their fifth clean sheet in six games away at York City midweek, a run that has coincided with them collecting 15 of a possible 18 points.

Late goals from Reuben Noble-Lazarus and Olly Lancashire helped Dale come from a goal down to snatch victory in their first-round replay at Spotland Stadium.

Rochdale’s five-game unbeaten run was ended thanks to Michael Brown’s second-half strike, pushing Keith Hill’s team out of the League One play-off places and down to eighth.

Rochdale played the majority of the tie with ten men after captain Ian Henderson was dismissed, but struck the woodwork twice in a tightly-fought match at Sixfields.

Rochdale boss Keith Hill is hoping his side can repeat last year’s magnificent FA Cup run which saw them beat Torquay, Rotherham and Leeds when they face Northampton Town this weekend.

Goals from Jack O’Connell, Ian Henderson and Matthew Done put Rochdale into the play-off places as they ended Preston’s eight-match winning run on Saturday

Keith Hill’s Rochdale move to top of table with comfortable defeat of relegation strugglers Northampton Town