IT WAS a case of extra time heartache after Rossendale Amateurs let the LFA Amateur Cup slip through their grasp.

Dale raced to a 2-0 lead and were just minutes away from lifting the cup in the club's 70th anniversary season.

But a late Little Lever leveller forced extra time and the Bolton side completed a remarkable comeback with the winner in the second period.

While it was a nightmare ending for Dale in their first ever Amateur Cup final appearance, they could not have wished for more of a dream start.

Dale's little and large strikeforce, Andy Holt and Danny Crowley, unsettled their fellow Lancashire Amateur League side from the start - with Holt forcing an early flying save out of Lee Buckley following Crowley's flick-on.

Nick Clemons, who recovered from a nervy start, and Jimmy Hoyle were pulling the strings in the middle of the park while skipper Jonathan Booth showed some nice touches wide on the left - although he failed to reproduce the scintillating form of the semi final win over Hurst Green.

And it was Crowley, knocked out during that semi final win, who opened the scoring when he met Simon Nangle's excellent cross with a thumping header.

Dale attacked with pace and purpose and the lively Andrew Smith ripped through the heart of the Little Lever defence only to be hauled back by Phil Regan on the edge of the area.

A braver ref may well have sent Regan off as he appeared to be Lever's last line of defence. But instead, a yellow card was flashed in the face of the centre back and Nangle crashed the resulting free kick in to the wall.

But Smith was to exact his revenge with a another rapier-like run down the middle of the park, leaving Regan trailing in his slip stream and side-stepping the outstretched Buckley before Holt took the ball off his toes to score.

However, the joy of a two-goal lead was short lived when Little Lever were gifted a foothold in the final after Carl McCoy tripped Ben Wells in the area - the striker picked himself up to convert the resulting penalty.

The goal rocked Rossendale's confidence and it was a nervy side who emerged after the break as Little Lever looked the more likely to get the next goal.

Dale keeper John Parrot did well to hold on to a low shot from Neil Matthews before Andrew Fane volleyed just wide after more good work from Matthews. But Dale regained their composure and once again began to control the game. However, with minutes remaining and from a promising Dale attack, Little Lever mounted one last counter attack raid with young sub Danny Lowe crossing for Josh Hill to head home.

It was a desperate blow for Dale but, to their credit, they carried the momentum they had built up prior to the equaliser in to extra time and Holt and Nangle both went close while substitute Danny Watts headed just wide.

But Little Lever took the lead early in the second period when John Armour crossed and Parrot, hampered by a heel injury in the Dale goal, failed to get off the ground and Wells prodded home from close range.

Once again, Dale refused to throw the towel in and Watts was twice denied by Buckley before Paul Wadsworth smashed his shot over the bar.

And when Nangle headed over from close range, it proved to be Dale's last chance to grasp the cup that had appeared to be firmly in their hands.