MACC took a well-earned point from a tough encounter at Rochdale, thanks to Nat Brown’s towering late header.
Adam Rundle gave Dale a lead midway through the second half, but Brown rescued a deserved point after nodding home Izak Reid’s cross.
Macc boss Keith Alexander restored Paul Morgan to the defence after the Irishman recovered from injury, while Gareth Evans, available again after his suspension, partnered Simon Yeo in attack.
Macc started the brighter and Yeo had a header deflected wide, and Evans showed his pace to beat the Dale defence to Sean Hessey’s long ball, but ‘keeper Sam Russell was out quickly to snuff out the danger.
Ciaran Toner had the hosts’ first opportunity, but his low shot from the edge of the box was well gathered by Jonny Brain.
Dale were awarded a generous free-kick when Brain was adjudged to have picked up a back-pass after a tackle from Morgan.
Forced to defend in numbers, the charging Macc players blocked Lee Thorpe’s dig at goal.
Just before the break, Dale almost took the lead when Tom Kennedy’s cross from a free-kick was deflected by Terry Dunfield, with Brain pulling off a remarkable save.
Thorpe shot narrowly over as Dale got into gear and were the quicker team in the second half. Ten minutes in, Lee Thompson went close, but his shot from a narrow angle thumped the outside of the post.
Brain was again called into action on the hour mark, denying Chris Dagnall’s crisp shot after a neat Dale move.
Rochdale scored from a corner - Kennedy’s kick was flicked-on by Dagnall, and Rundle bundled home the ball from close range.
Shortly after Kennedy fired another free-kick over the bar, Macc equalised when Reid’s sublime cross found Brown six yards out.
The Wrexham loanee gave Russell no chance with his header to level with 10 minutes remaining.
With the two teams locked at stalemate, the last action saw Brain tip over Thorpe’s deep cross and the final whistle signalled the end of the Silkmen’s run of defeats.
