SHOW SPIRIT DEJECTED DALE

JIM McNulty admitted his Rochdale side were guilty of complacency after letting Southend United off the hook at the Crown Oil Arena.

- Richard Partingdon

Dale allowed a two-goal lead midway through the first half to slip away and had to settle for a point from a game they dominated for long spells.

Goals from Jimmy Keohane and Kairo Mitchell put the home side in control, only for the crisis-hit Shrimpers, naming a threadbare 14man squad, to snatch a point through Harry Cardwell and Jack Wood.

"The game should have been won by half-time," said McNulty. "It was a very good first half but we were guilty of complacency with our non-elite ruthlessness to take advantage of a game that was totally going our way.

We should have been 4-0 up at half time and if we are, I don't think there's a game any more.