BRAINTREE, England (Interstat) — Substitute Aidan Barlow scored a dramatic 96th-minute winner as Rochdale opened its National League season with a 2-1 comeback victory over Braintree Town on Saturday at Rare Breed Meat Co. Stadium.

The match, which closely followed the pregame projection of a 2-1 Rochdale win by Interstat’s simulator, was decided in a frantic finale featuring two goals deep into second-half stoppage time.

Rochdale, which entered the match with an 84.3% probability to win according to Interstat’s ELO ratings, was forced to rally after a sluggish start. The visitors broke through in the 36th minute. Barlow, who had entered the match earlier as a substitute, provided the finish to give his side a 1-0 lead heading into halftime.

The second half became increasingly fractious, with four yellow cards issued in a volatile eight-minute span early in the period. Braintree Town’s James Clarridge was booked in the 51st minute, followed by Rochdale’s Aidan Francis in the 53rd, Rochdale’s Harvey Gilmour in the 56th and Braintree Town’s Luke Hannant in the 59th.

The home side, pushing for an equalizer, found its breakthrough in the first minute of added time. Veteran striker John Akinde delivered, scoring in the 91st minute to level the match at 1-1 and seemingly salvage a point for the Iron.

The drama, however, was far from over. In the ninth minute of stoppage time, Rochdale launched one final attack. The effort was rewarded when forward Emmanuel Dieseruvwe found the net, scoring in the 99th minute to secure all three points for the visitors just before the final whistle.

The result gives Rochdale a winning start to the National League campaign, moving its record to 1-0-0. Braintree Town begins its season with a defeat, falling to 0-1-0. The records across all competitions for both clubs are identical to their league marks.

Barlow’s goal off the bench proved the key performance in a match that ultimately validated the statistical forecasts, though the path to victory required a resilient response after Braintree’s late equalizer. Rochdale’s ability to find a second winning goal in the dying moments underscored the narrow margin of victory in a contest that appeared headed for a draw.