Dale signed off in spectacular fashion at Macc as despite leading with a couple of minutes left we still managed to snatch a defeat from the jaws of victory.

Dale pressed the self destruct button with time running out and let Macc in for a victory they scarcely deserved. In a match filled with controversy Dale led twice but still managed to be the losing side as the final whistle went.

Dale announced two changes to the starting line up. The suspended Dave Flitcroft was replaced by Gavin Melaugh, and Richard Jobson played what may be his last professional game of football in place of Simon Grand.

Controversy erupted after only a few moments, as Macc were awarded quite possibly the most dubious penalty of all time. The biased home referee though was to set the pattern for the rest of the game, quite why he gave Dale the blatant penalty we got is beyond me, as its pretty much the only decision that went our way all afternoon.

The lively Miles broke into the box, and Griff was ushering him to the touchline, Miles seemingly slipped as the ball was going out of play, and he looked as shocked as anyone when the referee pointed to the spot. There was no shouts from the crowd and no appeals from the players. Shocking decision.

Matt Gilks though was on top form and parried the kick out. Justice had been done. Dale were to get a penalty of their own though a few moments later. Beech was unceremoniously dumped to the ground in the box after a silly lunge and there was no dispute that it was a blatant penalty.

McEvilly stepped up and smashed the ball, after a deflection of the keeper and the upright it finally nestled in the net. Evil hit it so hard in fact that the ball had to be replaced with a new one before the game could restart!

Beech was taken off after receiving a knock to the head, the referee though refused to play by the laws and stop play, and let Macc carry on attacking! Disgraceful. Rory Patterson replaced him, and Platt dropped back into midfield.

Dale started the second half on fire. A corner was won almost immediately and Griffiths powered a header against the bar and watched it rebound out and be cleared. Macc then grabbed an undeserved equaliser as Hill (I think - though teletext says Hockenhull!) put the ball into his own net, following a strong challenge. Very unlucky.

Dale took the lead for a second time though, when Evil danced through a static Macc defence and smashed the ball into the bottom corner from a few yards out.

From then on Dale had the home side on the backfoot and really should have extended their lead. Connor crossed a ball right across the face of goal just out of reach of Patterson. Hockenhull and Melaugh both went close with long range efforts.

Enter tactical genius Simpson though. He replaces Hill with Doughty. Left back for left back. Awesome! In fact from the moment Simpson came down from the stand to the touchline, Dale started to lose the plot, and Macc were getting more into the game.

Dale though really should have extended their lead, but once again the cheating referee denied Dale a perfectly good goal. He blew for a foul on the keeper from a cross, yet it was a Macc player who got in his own keepers way! Evil's header into the net was legitimate and should have stood and should have been his hat-trick.

Macclesfield with time running out brought on supposed hero John Askey - WHO?! We were soon to find out though. With two minutes left Macc equalised. Dale were caught on the break the first attempt was parried by Gilks but it fell to Askey who put it into the net.

Things got worse for Dale as Tipton grabbed Macc a winner in injury time, pretty much the last kick of the game. His low curling shot was right in the corner and gave Gilks no chance.

Very hard done by today. The chances to win were there and we should have taken them. You can bet last season we would have won this kind of game comfortably. Yet again though we have lost to a very average side, and its not acceptable.

Some good performances put in by namely Evil, Hockenhull, Melaugh and Patterson. All youngsters, and all on top form today. Yet again we showed we have an inability to defend, and our goals against column this season is very worrying.

Today was surely Paul Simpson's last game in charge as manager. No matter how much stick we have given him, we would still like to wish him good luck wherever he goes (he better bloody go though!). Who shall his replacement be? I think the fans made up their mind today at the final whistle as 'Steve Parkin's Barmy Army' rang out from the shed that is Macc!

The season is over. No more games. Genuinely happy that it is over as well. The pain felt at home to Rushden and away at Plymouth seems so long ago now. Its that pain though that makes us Dale fans. I'd rather hurt from losing rather than feel nothing from what we witness now. Simpson Out! Up The Dale.

Photo: Action Images

Rochdale Polls