Dale made it four wins in a row with a comfortable 3-0 victory over Macclesfield, who ended the game with ten men.
Will Atkinson, Scott Wiseman and Jason Taylor bagged the goals for Dale with Shaun Brisley seeing red in the 67th minute.
Keith Hill made just one change to the side that started in the 3-0 demolition of Bradford, with Kallum Higginbotham coming in for the injured Joe Thompson. Tom Heaton started between the sticks, with Scott Wiseman, Craig Dawson, Nathan Stanton and Tom Kennedy making up the back four. Jason Kennedy captained the side in midfield alongside Jason Taylor, whilst Will Atkinson was positioned on the opposite wing to Higginbotham. Tuesday's goal-scorers Chris Dagnall and Chris O'Grady partnered one another up top.
Dale were sporting an unusual combination of purple shirts, white shorts and blue socks after referee Steven Cook thought our home black and blue kit clashed with Macclesfield's black away shirts. Keith Hill's side were hoping the confusion with their kits wouldn't seep into their play as the game got underway.
Before the game many thought an early goal for Dale was crucial as they would need to draw Macclesfield out to continue their goal-scoring habits. Chris O'Grady had a half-chance for Dale after four minutes but he mishit his shot and Macclesfield goalkeeper John Brain picked the ball up with ease. Kallum Higginbotham, making his first start for Dale this season, was looking lively in the opening minutes as he looked to carry the sword to the Silkmen's defence. He did well to twist and turn in around the Macc defenders before releasing a shot which was blocked and Brain managed to pluck the ball out of the air.
Macclesfield's first real venture forward came in the 10th minute when neat play saw them win a free-kick on the edge of the area. Hamza Bencherif played in Ricky Sappleton who was brought down by Nathan Stanton, who received a yellow card for his misdemeanour. Colin Daniel took the free kick with his left-foot which was on target, but Tom Heaton was equal to it.
The early stages looked promising for Dale as they played some tidy football looking for that important early goal. Chris Dagnall hadn't tried his luck in the opening twelve minute but he had an effort in the 13th minute from the edge of the area which he just pulled wide of John Brain's left post.
Dale were still probing the Macclesfield defence as the first quarter of the game came to an end, but it was the away side who had the next good chance of the game. Colin Daniel picked the ball up 25 yards out and tried to bend a left-footed shot into the far corner. He went close and may have been even closer had it not been for a Dale block which saw the ball fly out for a corner kick.
Chris O'Grady showed his fine strength with 25 minutes gone as he turned Shaun Brisley with ease on the left-side before advancing and playing a great ball between the Macclesfield defence and goalkeeper which just evaded Chris Dagnall. It was a great ball from the Oldham loanee which would have been a goal had Dagnall been a shoe size bigger.
Macclesfield made their second substitution of the game after 28 minutes with Ricky Sappleton and Hamza Bencherif both picking up injuries early on.
Whether this upset their rhythm or not we'll never know, but just a minute later Dale took the lead with Will Atkinson bagging his first goal for Dale. Kallum Higginbotham played a ball down the right edge of the box which Chris O'Grady and Carl Tremarco raced for. There was no contest as O'Grady completely bundled Tremarco off the ball before showing calmness inside the box to pick out Atkinson who had the simplest of jobs to tap home from three yards out.
It was the first-half goal Dale were looking for from the off and they could have easily doubled their lead just a minute later. Scott Wiseman overlapped Kallum Higginbotham on the right before giving a return ball to Higginbotham who was just inside the area. He unleashed a ferocious shot which was superbly saved by Macclesfield 'keeper John Brain before being cleared for a corner.
It would have given Dale a comfortable lead going into half-time, but in the 33rd minute they did double their lead, through the unlikely source of Scott Wiseman. Kallum Higginbotham carried the ball forward at pace with Chris O'Grady for support. He looked to give the ball to O'Grady but the ball was too light and Carl Tremarco attempted to clear. However, he smashed the ball straight at O'Grady with the ball rebounding into the path of Scott Wiseman who had charged forward in the centre of area. The right-back's gamble paid off as he slotted the ball calmly past John Brain for his first goal in Dale colours.
Those two quick goals settled any nerves that were inside Spotland in the first-half as Dale began to look comfortable when in possession and when not. With the clock ticking down to half-time Chris O'Grady showed why he has been such a hit at Dale since joining on-loan. He showed great strength and agility to beat the right side of Macclesfield's defence before coming across the edge of the box and firing a shot off, which unfortunately was blocked out for a corner.
O'Grady again troubled the Silkmen's defence as the Fourth Official's board showed three minutes for stoppage time. Will Atkinson turned on the edge of the area and played in O'Grady, but his shot went wide of John Brain's near post.
Macclesfield's Emile Sinclair certainly had some pace about him, but so far had been matched by Nathan Stanton who is no slouch at all. Sinclair had the last effort of the first-half when he cut in from the right and test Tom Heaton with his left-foot, but the on-loan goalkeeper comfortable saved.
Referee Cook brought an end to the first-half which had been a good one for Dale as they went into the changing rooms two goals to the good.
Darkness fell upon Spotland quickly at half-time and the teams were underneath the shine of the floodlights for the second half. It was a slow start to the half with perhaps the most interesting moment coming when referee Steven Cook gave handball against Chris Dagnall in a decision which puzzled everyone inside Spotland.
Dale were in full control of the game and continued their good football from the first-half as they looked to put the game to bed. It wasn't just the front men who were turning it on for Dale and Tom Heaton was reliable when called upon. He did well to show bravery in going down at the feet of Emile Sinclair to block his shot on the turn.
Macclesfield seemed resigned to the fact they would come away with nothing and as such the game had lost its pace from the first-half with Dale looking worryingly comfortable for Macc boss Keith Alexander. Tom Kennedy tried a speculative effort from distance but his left-foot shot went well wide and out of the ground and into the Sandy Lane troubling any oncoming cars.
In the 65th minute leading scorer Chris Dagnall came very close to adding a third to Dale's tally. Tom Kennedy put in a first time cross from the left which tested the Macc defence with Shaun Brisley doing well to divert the ball away from Dagnall and out for a corner.
However, Brisley turned from hero to villain in a matter of minutes as he was shown a red card for bringing down Chris O'Grady when last man. Chris Dagnall picked out his strike partner who took the ball past Brisley before having his ankle clipped by the Macclesfield centre-back. O'Grady tried to stay on his feet but eventually found his way to ground, prompting referee Cook to brandish the red card to Brisley, ending his afternoon.
The extra man for Dale started to show with fifteen minutes to go as all members of Dale's team began get involved in the neat, flowing football. Will Atkinson almost produced a wonderful solo goal as he beat three men on the left before cutting inside. However, his shot went well wide of John Brain's goal.
Chris Dagnall had put in a great shift up front for Dale and he was replaced in the 75th minute by new loan signing Danny Glover who came on for his Dale debut.
It was almost a dream debut for the striker on loan from Port Vale, but he was denied by John Brain. Chris O'Grady played in Tom Kennedy on the left who crossed low for Glover in the centre of the area, but his shot was straight at Brain who used his body to keep the ball out.
Dale were really pushing for a third in the final ten minutes as Macclesfield were just waiting for the final whistle. Scott Wiseman had been marauding down the right all game and he did so again, cutting the ball back to Kallum Higginbotham who squared for Chris O'Grady. However, O'Grady got his shot all wrong and he hit the roof of the Sandy Lane stand with his effort.
O'Grady had a better effort with three minutes to go as he turned with the ball on the edge of the area before firing a left-foot shot at goal from little over 20 yards which John Brain did well to palm around his left post.
The fourth official indicated a minimum of three minutes added time as Chris O'Grady turned and fired another shot well wide of John Brain's goal.
With just seven seconds remaining, Dale did make it three, with another new scorer for Dale getting it in the shape of Jason Taylor. Chris O'Grady carried the ball forward before playing Will Atkinson in on the left who crossed early for Taylor as he calmly slotted the ball in John Brain's bottom left corner to cap off another impressive Dale performance.
That was the final act of the game as the referee blew for full-time just after the restart. Another three goals and another three points for Dale as they maintain their place at the top of the league with the challenge of Lincoln City away to come next weekend.
Dale: Heaton, Wiseman, Dawson, Stanton, T Kennedy, J Kennedy (c), Taylor, Atkinson, Higginbotham, O'Grady, Dagnall.
Macclesfield: Brain, Reid, Tremarco, Brisley, Paul Morgan, Bencherif, Brown, Rooney, Sinclair, Sappleton, Daniels.
Referee: Mr Steven Cook (Surrey). Assistant Referees: Robert Jones (Merseyside) & Tony Peart (North Yorkshire). 4th Official: Michael Denton (Lancashire).
Attendance: 3,003.
