MACCLESFIELD boss Keith Alexander slammed the referee after the Silkmen's 1-0 defeat to Rochdale.

Tom Kennedy fired home the winner from a penalty in first half stoppage time after Chris Dagnall fell under the challenge of Jon Brain and referee Chris Sarginson pointed to the spot.

"Only the referee in the whole ground gave that decision," he said. "The linesman's facing it and never gave it. It's a shocking referee. We've had him before - shocking.

"These decisions cost you points. I'm not going to say we were the better team in the first half because we quite clearly weren't. But at 0-0 you give yourself a chance to talk to the players and in the second half we were the better side.

"On another day we might have got something, but they are in the top six or seven and it shows where we've got to be.

"We want to start winning. We've lost three on the trot which nobody likes, but we've got something to build on."

Rochdale boss Keith Hill said: "They can argue about the penalty all day, but it was given and we won 1-0. It was a great 1-0."

MACC: Brain 6, Brisley 6, Morgan 7, Hessey 6 (Evans, 60) 5, Reid 6, Bell 7, Nat Brown 6, Thomas 7, Jennings 6, Sinclair 6, Elliott 5, (Yeo, 74) 5.

ROCHDALE: Fielding 8, Wiseman 7, Stanton 7, McArdle 7, Kennedy 7, Thompson 7, Gary Jones 7, Toner 6, Adams 7 (McEvilly, 81) 5, Dagnall 8 (Le Fondre , 67) 5, Buckley 5, (Rundle, 69) 5

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