NEW signings Evan Horwood and Paul Murrsay made their Hartlepool United debuts at Rochdale.

They formed what seemed to be a five-man midfield, as Armann Bjornsson led the forward line on his own.

Peter Hartley started at centre-half alongside Sam Collins in the absence of the suspended Gary Liddle.

ROCHDALE: Lillis; Wiseman, Holness, Dawson, Widdowson; Barry-Murphy, Kennedy, Jones; Akpa-Akpro, Thompson, O'Grady. Subs: Edwards (gk), Flynn, Done, Redshaw, Elding, Goodall, Andre.

HARTLEPOOL: Flinders; Austin, Collins, Hartley, Horwood; Brown, Gamble, Murray, Sweeney, Monkhouse; Bjornsson. Subs: McSweeney, Boyd, Haslam, Mackay, Fredriksen, Rafferty (gk), Larkin.

Referee: Andy Penn (Walsall)