Rochdale 3-0 Macclesfield

The Silkmen were beaten 3-0 by table-topping Rochdale, but the Silkmen were left counting more than the cost of the result.

Within the first half hour of the game, the Silkmen had lost two crucial players, as Ricky Sappleton limped out after a poor tackle which sent him sprawling when he appeared to be the last defender, and a few minutes later a terrible tackle from behind saw Hamza Bencherif out of action for at least a couple of months with a broken ankle.

Adding insult to injury, the Silkmen were annoyed to see both tackles deemed only worthy of a yellow card.

Already missing Lee Bell and Ross Draper, the Silkmen were now without their first choice midfield and the next five minutes saw the home side`s opening two goals.

First Paul Morgan was barged off the ball to allow a low cross which was tapped home by Atkinson, before a massive slice of luck for Dale saw a clearance ricochet off their attacker, and fall perfectly for Wiseman.

The Silkmen`s best chance to get back into the game came just after half time when Emile Sinclair sprung the offside trap but opted to try a looping header over the advancing ‘keeper, and misjudged it, heading into his hands.

There was worse to come for the Silkmen as Sinclair was then forced off with injury and Shaun Brisley was sent off for a foul as the last defender. Although it looked remarkably similar to the offence that had seen Sappleton out of the game.

Dale took advantage of the numerical advantage and hit the third with the last kick of the game, Taylor turning in a low cross in the third minute of injury time.