Glenn Murray's injury time header rescued a late point for Rochdale as Macclesfield threw away a two goal lead at a rain swept Moss Rose.

Levi Reid and Gareth Evans had given the Silkmen a commanding half time advantage before Adam Rundle pulled one back and Murray completed the comeback at the death.

Evans, starting in place of the injured Francis Green, forced a corner in the first minute, although Martin Gritton's nod back into the area was cleared by Dale.

The visitors showed attacking intent soon afterwards with Lee McEvilly's blast over from 20 yards, but they failed to take advantage of the wind blowing their way and struggled to kick into gear throughout the first half.

Rundle's free kick from the right was glanced wide by an offside Murray and winger Kallum Higginbotham was booked for a late challenge on Macc skipper Kevin McIntyre.

The Silkmen took the lead on 19 minutes when McIntyre's left wing cross was flicked on by Evans and found Reid on hand to poke home past Sam Russell from close range.

Levi Reid - Put Macc ahead and caused Dale problems down the right

Macc looked dangerous going forward and played some neat football at times, which was especially difficult against the driving rain and tricky conditions.

Terry Dunfield's clever ball inside full back Simon Ramsden gave Danny Thomas space to sprint into and his ball over fell perfectly for Evans who volleyed at the legs of defender Rory McArdle.  The ball broke to Gritton but he struggled to re-adjust as it came back to him and shot wide.

Another precise Dunfield pass gave Reid space and his dangerous cross sailed inches over Gritton's head in the centre.  Down at the other end Rundle, Dale's best player in the first period, flew down the left and fizzed his cross-shot just past the post.

In the poor conditions Jonathon Brain was having trouble with some of his kicks, but on the half hour a miss-hit clearance set Macc up to double their lead.  The kick flew past everyone straight down the middle and into Gritton's path.  The big striker played a perfectly weighted ball across goal for Evans to reach before Russell and tap in.

Gareth Evans - Bagged his third goal for Macc

Right from the restart Murray almost capitalised on a mix-up between Brain and Luke Dimech in a dangerous position and Rundle again went close from the left.

Gritton had to be replaced by youngster Nick Blackman after taking a nasty knock on the head during a goalmouth game of head tennis ten minutes before the interval, although the home side still looked threatening despite the loss of their target man.

Into the second half Blackman's slide rule ball to Evans played him through, but when his touch took him wide he could only shoot tamely into the side netting.

Dale looked to change things in the final third by introducing Adam Le Fondre for McEvilly as Macc were pushed further onto the back foot by a more competitive performance by the away side.

They looked to have found a goal in the 52^nd minute when McArdle's header from a corner beat keeper Brain, but Adam Murray came from nowhere to somehow head the ball onto the bar and clear to the disbelief of the Dale players.

Adam Murray - Saved the Silkmen with a goal-line clearance but made a few sloppy passes in midfield

Thomas flashed a low effort wide of the far post and the visitors made two more changes by putting John Doolan on for Lee Crooks and taking Higginbotham off for Joe Thompson.

Dale got back into the game in the 64^th minute when Rundle was found by Doolan's brilliant cross field ball, he easily cut inside Carl Regan and his shot fortuitously came off Dimech and flew in at the near post past a wrong footed Brain.

Le Fondre missed his first great opportunity soon after when he placed a volley well wide from Murray's hooked pass to him unmarked on the penalty spot.

Evans blasted wide from Reid's pass on the break but most of the play was at the other end as Dale piled more men forward and the Macc defence got deeper to try and hold on to their now slender lead.

Phil Doughty came on for Dimech and Brain had to make a fantastic save to tip over Le Fondre's fizzing volley from 15 yards after Murray missed his clearance in the middle.

Ex-Stockport striker Le Fondre unbelievably squandered an even better opportunity with ten minutes remaining when he was found in acres of space in front of goal and with everyone waiting for an offside flag that never came he slotted well wide from eight yards.

Simon Wiles gave Macc some fresh legs when he came on in Levi Reid's place and the home defence looked to hold firm with Dale desperate for an equaliser to preserve their impressive away run.

Blackman had a chance to seal the win with two minutes to go when he was played through down the left, although he hesitated thinking he was offside and after beating his man at the near post his shot rebounded off the legs of Russell and bounced clear.

The dramatic late equaliser came three minutes into the four added on as a Dale corner from the left was met by Murray climbing highest at the far post to nod down into the bottom corner to the delight of the soaked visiting fans at the other end.

Although not a vintage performance throughout, it looked as if Macc were heading towards a first win in seven, but now end the year without a win all month and looking over their shoulders that little bit more.

Andy Brinkhurst