Once again, we were confronted with the toughest opponent that we're likely to face all season - not Keith Alexander's winless Macclesfield side, but a pitch more akin to growing rice than playing football. There was to be no footballing to death on a pitch bringing back memories of the Christmas Truce, but what Dale displayed was an intelligent and resolute performance that extended our lead at the top of the division to five points with games in hand.

As supporters, we were spared much of the elements that had helped make that pitch what it was. Perhaps John Lennon was thinking about the away end at the Moss Rose when he wrote "above us only sky", but thankfully fears of a deluge of rain, sleet and snow were dismissed with what turned out to be a sunny afternoon.

Keith Hill made changes from the Bradford game in terms of both personnel and formation, with recalls to the starting line up for Rory McArdle and Jason Kennedy, as we paid homage to the conditions and the old fashioned Alexander tactics.

They weren't the only changes as Dale ran out wearing our pre-season kit, complete with a lack of names on the back. Both our kits were deemed to clash with Macc's blue kit, so we headed out for the first time this season wearing a white kit.

The first half had comfortable written all over it. It wasn't so much that Dale dominated, but you'd be hard pushed to think of a single Macclesfield shot during this time as we won the midfield battle with the Silky types.

It was evident right from the early stages that it was never going to be a game littered with chances, and any side with an eye on victory would need to make sure any chances were taken.

It was almost a battle of attrition in the early stages, with Keith Alexander strangely absent from his dugout during this period, but slowly but surely Dale took control of the game. The tactical switch was paying off for Dale, and whilst at times we seemed reluctant to put bodies forward, we looked in no danger whatsoever at the back with Frank Fielding almost enjoying an off day in preparation for his midweek England call up.

It was last Saturday's match winner Gary Jones who had our best chance to break the deadlock. He was put into acres of space within the Macc penalty box, but with time on his side, he blasted over when he seemed a dead cert to score. His reaction showed that he knew it was not a day to be missing gilt edged chances.

The second half brought an early change for Dale, with Nathan Stanton brought on to replace Scott Wiseman. There was no indication as to whether this was due to injury or tactical, but from this time on, the home side looked more of an attacking threat than they had done previously.

So it was a good job we took the lead.

Will Atkinson fed the ball to Chris O'Grady with Dale having many bodies in the opposition box, and our leading scorer twisted, turned and fired the ball home. It wasn't the cleanest of finishes, with the ball taking touches off Macc keeper Brain and defender Nat Brown, but they all count and all that.

Hopes that this might open the floodgates were soon dispelled, as the game continued to be sort of game that would ultimately be settled by a goal such as O'Grady's. Our hosts certainly stepped things up a gear, but even the introduction of Matty Titpon - someone perceived as being a bigger threat to Dale over the years than he actually has been, failed to change Macc into being anything other than lightweight as an attacking force.

Dale came close on a couple of occasions with half chances, but found ourselves thwarted by an official who seemed to view the awarding of corners to be up there with genocide. A goal bound Craig Dawson header was deflected out for what should have been a corner, and even the Macc keeper headed one out for a corner at one point unbeknown to the official. In fairness to the referee, they were small (but definite) touches and perhaps easy to miss.

Dale seemed strong at the back and coped well with the long balls into the box. Fielding looked a dominant presence when called upon (anything to get involved after that first half), rising above those around him to catch anything which moved.

When the Maccs did get chances, they struggled to direct them goalwards, with a couple of efforts ending up in Row D at the back of their stand. Supporters were probably more nervy than they should have been as there was never any real danger of conceding, but its not called the squeaky bum time for nothing and eyebrows were raised at the four minutes of additional time that was displayed.

As those four minutes ticked away, Chris Dagnall showed a great deal of sympathy for O'Grady's miss at Gigg Lane a few weeks back, by missing an even easier chance. Fantastic work by O'Grady down the left saw him put over a ball to Dagnall who was lurking at the back post.

If anything, Dagnall had too much time and he tried to control it before tapping it in, but his first touch let him down and the ball bobbled off him going wide when he had the most open of open nets in front of him. However, unlike at Gigg, the miss didn't come back and bite us on the arse seconds later, and we were greeted with the final whistle to confirm our victory.

The win was further proof, not that we needed it, that we have it within us to win ugly when needed, and for all of our attacking prowess, defensively we are as strong as we've been for years, with this win giving us our eleventh clean sheet of the season - the same total we picked up in all of our league, cup and play off games last season.

With Dale requiring just over a point a game now, it can only be a matter of time before the most overused phrase in football right now can be dispensed to the footballing dustbin.