Ten years ago and Stoke City were also drawn against Rochdale in the League Cup.

The competition was a two-legged affair back then with City winning the first leg at Spotland 3-1.

We take a look back at the return match, which was to be the first-ever game at the Britannia Stadium.

OPENING SALVO!

Determined Stoke win stadium race

Stoke City 1 Rochdale 1 (Stoke win 4-2 on aggregate)

Sheer determination to win the race against time and launch English football's latest new stadium meant Britannia waived the rules at Stoke last night.

There were no showers for the players in the dressing rooms, no pegs on which to hang their well-cut suits, and the tannoy announcer got the biggest laugh of the evening when he muddled up Rochdale with Stockport County.

Not really the done thing. But they were only minor indiscretions compared to what could have gone wrong as City introduced their new £14.7 million, 28,000-seater dream arena to their fans.

Major catastrophe was avoided - an achievement itself, as Derby discovered when the lights went out at Pride Park two weeks ago - and the Britannia Stadium made its bow successfully and somewhat serenely considering the last-minute rush which had preceded its debut.

If ever there were a giant-killing act, it was pulled of by the hundreds of workmen who overcame fearsome odds and achieved the seemingly impossible of getting so much done in so little time in the hours before this historic match took place.

Heaving sighs of relief all round, then, plus the bonus of Chic Bates and his players completing the "other" job in hand - a place in the second round of the Coca-Cola Cup.

In truth, that was always going to be the easier task after the spadework of the 3-1 first leg win at Spotland two weeks ago, though the responsibility of avoiding a bubble-bursting defeat on the Britannia's big night was a responsibility on the players' shoulders.

They did that comfortably enough against a Rochdale side whose first priority was to avoid a heavy defeat - and there was the bonus of a stunning goal fit to grace any opening performance.

That came from Graham Kavanagh, and though it took 85 minutes to arrive, it was well worth the wait.

The Irishman, who went down in history as the last Stoke player to score in a League game at the old Victoria Ground four months ago, went down in the statistics books again with the first at the Britannia.

Kavanagh's sense of occasion was sharply honed as his deadly right foot tested the strength of the nets at the new ground with a 20-yard rocket.

It was a goal the people who were there will remember for its individual brilliance rather than its significance - the tie over the two legs was won and supporters were already wondering which Premiership side might grace the new Britannia in the next round.

Rochdale put a smell dent in the celebrations when Alex Russell pounced a minute from the end to level the score on the night, but no-one was complaining - least of all Chic Bates.

"That's a game we are just pleased to get out of the way", said the City boss.

"It was an achievement just to play it, really. There was so much work going on around the stadium before-hand and there were times when you had to wonder whether it would all come together but it did and that's a credit to an awful lot of people.

"The players just had to concentrate on their job. There were so many distractions and it was all a novelty but they were professional.

"Graham Kavanagh's goal deserved to win any match and I'm disappointed we let it slip at the end, but the object was to get into the next round.

"We've got a game under our belts now and got a feel for the new ground. The players liked the atmosphere down at pitch level. In the second half they enjoyed attacking towards our own fans as much as they used to enjoy attacking the Boothen End at the old ground."

The players were commendably courteous at they queued up to score. There were plenty of chances to grab that first goal and a slice of history but it was persistently a case of "after you" as the opportunities came and went.

Paul Stewart might have had a hat-trick in the first-half alone as he rasped one shot against the underside of the bar and saw two other efforts splendidly saved by Lance Key.

When Key beat out Stewart's shot four minutes before the break and the ball fell to Richard Forsyth inside the six-yard box and the moment of glory seemed his, but he was caught off-balance and, by the time he realised the significance of what was upon him, had stubbed the rebound wide.

Peter Thorne twice went close and Kevin Keen was invited to the do the business when Key's clearance fell at his feet, but the 'keeper recovered face with a save.

All this in an opening half when the visitors, despite their compact formation of just Robbie Painter in attack, could have grabbed a goal with Painter after just three minutes. Russell testing Muggleton, and Mark Stuart's crisp low drive held at the foot of the post.

Stuart fired inches wide two minutes after the interval and then Russell just faded to convert Fensome's chance.

City's response was to launch more attacks and Thorne pulled another chance wide before Keen's diving header was blocked by Key and Stewart whipped another effort wide. The veteran striker was at the heart of most of what Stoke did, and it was apt that his dribble along the edge of the 18-yard box produced the break of the ball which enabled Kavanagh to launch his missile into the top corner.

A fine way to shepherd in the new era. The roar was so loud when he scored, the echoes must have lapped the empty and terraces of the Victoria Ground half a mile away.

CITY: Muggleton, Pickering, Griffin, Sigurdsson, Tweed (Whittle 90), Keen, Forsyth, Wallace (Shreuder 86), Thorne, Stewart, Kavanagh. Sub: McMahon.

ROCHDALE: Key, Fensome, Bayliss, Hill, Farrell, Gouck, Bailey (Smith 75), Painter, Leonard (Carter 81), Russell, Stewart. Sub: Scott.

Referee: S Mathieson

Attendance: 12,768

(Match report courtesy of The Sentinel)