Dale returned to winning ways at Macclesfield with a fortuitous Chris O'Grady goal keeping Dale at the top of League Two.

The first half was all Dale but they couldn't make their pressure count. The second half began in the same way before Macclesfield came into the game and had a few opportunities themselves.

However, Chris O'Grady scored his 18^th goal of the season with his luckiest yet. He shot at Jon Brain before the ball came back to hit O'Grady and trickle over the line. Dale had chances to make the game safe as they held off the Macc attack before the referee blew for full-time.

Keith Hill made two changes to the side that lost at home to Bradford on Tuesday night with Nathan Stanton dropping to the bench as Rory McArdle came in to the side and Jason Kennedy making a return in place of Temitope Obadeyi as Dale went with three in midfield. Frank Fielding was in goal, with a back four of Scott Wiseman, Craig Dawson, McArdle and Tom Kennedy. The midfield free was Kennedy, Jason Taylor and Gary Jones, with Will Atkinson, Chris O'Grady and Chris Dagnall forming the three pronged striking attack.

The game did take a while to get into its rhythm as Dale looked to settle into their new set up and get used to the poor playing surface at Moss Rose. The first shot of the game came from the home side when Macclesfield's Ricky Sappleton unleashed a fierce drive from the edge of the box which dipped, but not enough as it flew just over Frank Fielding's crossbar.

The game was always going to be one that was scrappy in the middle of the park with both sides having to take the pitch into account of their game plan. Dale's first effort on target came with little under 20 minutes played when a free kick eventually found its way to Gary Jones on the edge of the box. He struck the ball well but it was straight at Macclesfield keeper Jon Brain and he collected easily.

Overall the first half an hour had been completely dominated by Dale. Keith Hill's side were seeing plenty of the ball at their feet, although the final ball was often the one that let them down as they looked for an opening. Gary Jones was wearing his shooting boots and after a Chris Dagnall lay off he shot at goal, but again it was straight at Jon Brain who plucked the ball out of the air with ease. Chris Dagnall later tried his luck from distance but his shot went over the angle of bar and post.

Then came Dale's chance to open the scoring - and it was a great one. A counter attacking move saw Chris O'Grady pick the ball up outside the area running at goal. He played in Gary Jones who was one on one with Jon Brain, but after taking his time and picking his spot he drove the ball way over the Macclesfield keeper's net to the cheers of the home fans.

It really was all Dale. Chris Dagnall had another effort which was deflected out for a corner, but Dale couldn't make anything of the resulting set piece. There was a momentary worry when Craig Dawson looked to have picked up an injury to his calf, but Dale's number 26 was fit enough to continue.

There was the unusual site of seeing Dale have no names on the back of their shirts. A late decision in kit change meant Dale were in their purple shorts and socks but wearing white shirts.

When Macclesfield did come forward they rarely looked like threatening. Frank Fielding's workout for the first half was made up of collecting wayward crosses, although The Silkmen's Ben Wright came close to nodding home from a yard out but couldn't quite reach the ball.

The one minute of added time almost produced the opener for Dale in scrappy circumstance. Chris O'Grady beat his man on the left of the area before putting a low ball across the face of goal towards Chris Dagnall. Dagnall couldn't reach it the first time and after a deflection looked like he had a second chance to score, but the ball ricocheted off him and out for a goal kick before the referee blew for half time.

After a few early scares were negotiated Dale began to play in the second half how they had done in the first. With little over five minutes gone in the half Nathan Stanton came on to replace Scott Wiseman, with Rory McArdle moving to right back. Wiseman appeared to have picked up a knock and will be a doubt for Tuesday's game at home to Rotherham.

With ten minutes gone Dale's pressure subsided a little which allowed Macclesfield to come forward. Colin Daniel had a good effort from a corner which was going in before being cleared off the line by Will Atkinson. Craig Dawson also had to be at his best to deny Ben Wright a goalscoring opportunity with a fine tackle inside his own area.

But that seemed a distant memory on the hour mark when Dale took the lead in very fortuitous circumstances. Good football in and around the area looked like it had broken down when Gary Jones was tackled, but the ball fell to Chris O'Grady who had his initial shot saved by Jon Brain, only for the ball to hit O'Grady and ricochet into the back of the net to the delight of the vocal travelling support.

It was a fantastic time to get the goal as Macclesfield began to put Dale under pressure for the first time in the match. They would now have to throw men forward and almost equalised five minutes after O'Grady's goal, but the cross from the left evaded everyone in the box and flew out for a goal kick.

A second for Dale would have really put the game to bed. Craig Dawson had a chance to nod home a Tom Kennedy free-kick at the back post, but his header narrowly went over the crossbar although the centre-back was claiming for a corner.

Dale were almost made to rue that missed chance with fifteen minutes to go as Macclesfield started to threaten more often. They had a number of half chances to score from close range but Dale bodies were thrown in the way before the ball was eventually cleared.

As the clock ticked down Dale began to be more conservative in throwing men forward, wary that Macclesfield would be throwing men forward at every opportunity. They almost equalised with seven minutes to go when a corner fell to Craig Lindfield at the back post, but he sliced his shot from 6 yards out over the crossbar.

With under five minutes remaining Dale could have had another lucky goal when a Macclesfield clearance hit the on-running Jason Kennedy before hitting the Silkmen defender again and flew just past the post as Dale looked to make the game safe.

Keith Hill chose to use his two remaining substitutes with GaryJones and Will Atkinson making way for Temitope Obadeyi and Ciaran Toner.

Four minutes of added time were signalled by the fourth official and two minutes into that Chris Dagnall had the perfect opportunity to make the game safe. Chris O'Grady beat three men on the left before putting the ball on a plate for Dagnall, but he somehow put the ball wide of the post from a yard out when it was easier to score.

Dale were now hitting Macclesfield on the counter attack and after a Chris O'Grady lay off Ciaran Toner had a shot blocked out for a corner, and it was in that corner that Dale spent the remaining minute or so as the referee brought the game to a close, with Dale picking up another three points.

Referee: Mark Haywood (West Yorkshire).

Attendance: 2,462