Macclesfield's poor recent run continued this afternoon with a 3-1 derby defeat to Rochdale for the second time this season.

Former Silkman Rickie Lambert returned to haunt Macc, playing a major role in the first two goals, and scoring the killer 3rd - his 16th of the season.

Rochdale started on the attack from the kick-off, Iyseden Christie almost found the net when he latched onto Tony Gallimore's looping header, but could only poke wide from 10 yards.

Macc's first chance came in the tenth minute, Kevin Sandwith's low cross evaded everyone but John Miles, but he shot tamely at Matt Gilks in the Dale goal.

Minutes later Miles was in the action again, he found the space down the right, but after two attempts to cross into the box it was eventually cleared for a corner.

Danny Whitaker's drive from the edge of the area was as close as the Silkmen came to scoring in the first half.Matt McNeil flicked a long ball on to the midfielder, but his shot whistled over the crossbar.

The visitors took the lead on 27 minutes when a corner was only cleared to Lambert on the left wing, he had acres of space to pick out Rory McArdle at the back post and the full back headed into the roof of the net from close range.

Macc created a few chances to equalise afterwards, Dave Morley's header from a corner went straight into the arms of Gilks and then John Miles' ambitious volley from the left flank never really troubled the keeper.

Brian Horton's team talk seemed to have little effect on his side, as only minutes into the second half they were two down.  Lambert's shot from 20 yards was palmed out by Alan Fettis into the path of Christie, the former Orient striker's shot found the net after deflecting off the post and the unfortunate Danny Swailes on the line.

It took the Silkmen only seven minutes to start a fight back though, Paul Harsley's cross from the left found the head of McNeil and Miles scrambled the ball into the corner between two Dale players.

The goal seemed to spring the Blues into life, and they could have been level on the hour, but McNeil's goal was ruled out.  Whitaker won the ball inside the centre circle and Miles' touch put the rangy striker through, but his first effort was blocked and he was adjudged to have fouled the covering defender before slamming home the rebound.

The introduction of Kevin Townson with around 20 minutes to go almost paid off as he had a chance with his first touch, but took too long to shoot and was closed down in a promising position.

Townson couldn't make as much of an impact against his former club as Rickie Lambert, who sealed the win on 83 minutes when he headed in at the back post from Ernie Cooksey's pinpoint cross.

Macc may have been drained from the 120 minutes against Carlisle on Tuesday night, and could point to the disallowed goal as a turning point, but never really looked like taking anything from the game.  Brian Horton later said they were out-battled and out-played, and with results elsewhere going against them are now only three points away from the bottom two.