The Silkmen never looked like getting back into the game and the Dale added two more in the second half.
Macclesfield took to the field in their all white away strip, but it was to be a black day for the team. Lining up in a 4-3-3? with Fettis in goal, Weaver, Carragher, Barras and Potter at the back. Harsley, Widdrington and Whitaker in midfield and Sheron Parkin and Tipton up front, the Silkmen's team never looked right and had too many passengers.
The early pressure came from Macc. A free-kick was worked down the right for Harsley who put in a curling cross that Sheron couldn't quite get to. Then Parkin released Harsley in space on the right who put in a near post ball for Tipton that was knocked away for a corner. Harsley's corner flew past everybody and Barras at the back tried a kick that put the ball over. Then it was Sheron using the space on the right to put a ball in for Parkin who headed wide.
About 12 minutes in and the momentum of the game changed as Rochdale started to get forward. Barras played the ball out of defence straight to Jones who cut down the Dale right and crossed in a good ball that Fettis had to gather. Then from a dangerous Rochdale free-kick into the box, Widdrington put the ball safely over his own team's cross-bar. On 18 minutes, the Rochdale fans came alive after being rather subdued as some sloppy Macc defensive work saw another dangerous cross in that Weaver headed away for a corner. Rochdale were now on top of the game and applying the pressure.
Some relief to the stretched defence came as Macc created their only real chance of the game from a corner. A Parkin header being cleared off the Dale line. 25 minutes and Rochdale nearly scored as again some sloppy defensive work on the Macc left let a ball be crossed in and with the Macc players static a flick on header saw Fettis produce a diving one handed save to claw the ball away. Rochdale continued to apply the pressure putting in two dangerous corner balls. 35 minutes and from a corner Tait headed in to the Macc goal but Whitaker on the line managed to head away.
As it seemed that Macc might make it to half-time without conceding, the defence gifted another dreadful giveaway goal. Playing the ball across the back and with little pressure on the players, Potter put an awful back-pass to Fettis that had no chance of reaching the Macc keeper. ?? was in, GRANT HOLT scooped up the loose ball and although Fettis did his best to put off the Dale man, he slid the ball past the keeper into the Macc goal.
Second half and Macc came out and looking more up for the game. Both Tipton having a go on goal and then Potter tried to make amends, surging forward, but putting his shot off target. Last season, Macc came back in both games against Dale from 0-1 down at half-time to win, but this time that possibility was put beyond them as on 55 minutes a good move down the Dale right by Atieno saw a low ball crossed back in to the edge of the Macc penalty area where ERNIE COOKSEY gave Fettis no chance with a well struck shot.
Dale continued to apply the pressure as Macc just couldn't get a grip of the game. From a Dale corner, the ball was blasted into a ruck of players in the Macc six yard box and was blocked away. Having decided to start with three strikers, Horton's options to get back into the game were limited. On 59 minutes, Whitaker who had struggled to get into the game was replaced by Miles. He started to try to run at the Dale defence, but by now the home side were looking sweet, sitting back in a defensive mode when anything threatened.
On 63 minutes, Tipton earned a free-kick for Macc on the right and he got a talking to off the ref after a bit of afters. The ball was played in towards the Dale box where the ref spotted another infringement and awarded another Macc free-kick just outside the area. The ref took objection to something Dale did and booked a player and marched the ball forward to the edge of the box. Tipton blasted the kick into the wall and the rebound as well. There was a third attempt at a shot before the ball was cleared. From the kick up field, Cooksey took a spectacular flying tumble and went to ground, earning a dubious free-kick in a similar position to just previous Macc one. The kick appeared to be blocked by a Macc elbow in the wall, but it didn't matter as the loose ball was rifled past Fettis by GARY JONES.
From the kick-off, Parkin and Sheron broke through the Dale defence, the latter putting his shot just over. Macc continued the pressure. Parkin trying to get a header in but only getting a corner. On 72 minutes good work by Miles saw him beat two Dale defenders and get to the goal-line, his cross in was too high for Parkin and Sheron on the back post put his shot wide. On 75 minutes, Dale were now stroking the ball about and a shot in from Atieno saw Fettis make a diving save to push the ball away for a corner. 82 minutes and Dale were looking for a 4th although a blatant two footed challenge by a Dale player was allowed and the ref balanced it up by being lenient with a back-pass to the keeper. With the game coming to a finish, the Macc attack were getting little out the well set Dale defence and Horton elected to take Parkin off and replace him with a defender Briscoe playing in midfield, which rather summed the day up for Macc.
After losing last week 1-5, Macc should have been aware that Dale could bounce back after such an upset. Instead Horton decided to go for it and play an attacking formation that just didn't work. The defence looked lopsided with Potter at left back and no right back. With a three man midfield, Harsley had to play forward. Weaver did extemely well in the circumstances as most of the Dale threat came down the side that should have been Macc's strongest. The Macc attack looked out of the game for long periods.
For the FootyMAD report see Match Reports on left.