"How did you go on today?"

"Oh we played really well, by far the better side."

"So you won then?"

"No we got beat"

And then been met by one of those ever so knowing looks which kind of look straight through you as if to say we've heard it all before.

That's how it must have been for the Accrington supporters on Saturday, because without doubt their side had been better than ours for the vast majority of the game. It's not often with scores level that I start thinking that I'd be happy to take a point from a home game, but that was how I was feeling during this game.

A few minutes later, and a "comfortable" 3-1 victory in the bag, I started to wonder what all the fuss was about. But success is based upon grinding out such victories, taking the win when it wasn't deserved, and the sides left lamenting a lack of fortune are the ones left lamenting their lower half of the table finish. So for that very reason, we should be highly satisfied with this result and our return for the Christmas Season. Would we have been any happier on Saturday evening had we put on a fantastic performance to snatch a point?

The first half was dire. Accrington were considerably better than us for two reasons. The first was their movement. We pride ourselves on our fitness levels, but the Accy players were all over the place, whilst we were pedestrian in comparison. Their movement allowed them options every time, whilst restriction our options when we had possession.

The second reason for their superiority was Paul Mullin up front. How eyes were raised when we stuck a bid in for him earlier in the season. Making a cash bid for a 34 year old who plays for Accrington Stanley of all clubs? (as if Stanley have some embargo preventing them from having decent players).

Well in this game we saw why. Mullin was by head and shoulders the best player on the pitch. He played as a lone front man, with Miles behind him, giving a perfect demonstration on how to play the big front man role. Not only that, his tracking back made him Accrington's best defender too. Does he play this well every week or was he trying to tempt Hilly into making one last bid for him? If a second bid was to be made, there'll be no raised eyebrows this time.

Anyway, by the time we took the lead we could have been two or three goals down easily for all the reasons stated above. We couldn't get going and grumblings of worst display of the season were heard around terraces. Our defence was torn apart all over the place and our midfield non existent.

The first chance saw one Accy attacker receive the ball in acres of space at the back post but his finishing only wound up the travelling support as his shot ended up in the side netting, unbeknown to the already celebrating Accy mafia.

The second great chance of theirs came when Russell pulled off one of those trademark Russell saves. A great diving save where the ball simply drops in the six yard box. Given the number of goals we've conceded in this manner this season, how many times must it happen before it is deemed as more than just a coincidence, and technique questioned? This time we were very thankful for the clearing defenders.

And then from out of nothing, we took the lead. It stemmed from the well again Will Buckley who went on one of those runs we thought belonged exclusively to the Derry Diego. The run started deep, and Buckley swept past opponent after opponent and just when you felt that he had the chance to seal a memorable goal, he was felled inside the box. No questions about it, it was a penalty.

Alfie stepped up after an attempt by Evil snatch the ball off him and blasted the penalty into the roof of the net to hand us a very undeserved lead.

The goal gave us breathing space, a chance to relax and re-assess the game with the advantage of the lead. The lead lasted around 40 seconds.

Accy had gone straight up the field with a Buckley-esque run of their own, and sensing the likelihood of another penalty being awarded to even matters up, the Accy winger Bobby Grant went to ground quicker than a DJ on his Sunday night out last week. The ball spilled to Miles who despatched the ball to the back of the net, only for the Accy fans to be celebrating in vain for the second time as referee Webster pulled the game back for a free kick at the edge of the box.

However, they weren't dampened down for too long as the free kick saw Accy stalwart Cavanagh fire it into the back of the box with the slightest of deflections on the way, giving Russell no chance at all. Few Dale fans could have had any complaints.

The goals had done nothing to spark us into life. The game continued in much the same spirit that it had started with. Accy were well on top and causing us all sorts of problems. Evil had incurred the wrath of the referee earning a yellow card after a series of fouls, and Adam Rundle was fortunate not have given away a penalty after he handled with one of his few touches in the first half.

The second half saw some impetus coming into our performance, and straight from the kick off we were on the offensive forcing an early corner, but again the first real chance of the half came to Stanley. Their striker was clear through on goal, but Wiseman proved the manager correct in recalling him with a superb last ditch tackle. Goal saving stuff.

And Wiseman's challenge was rewarded by Dale heading down the other end of the pitch and regaining the lead. Good work from Rundle put in a low cross that was read superbly by Buckley with the calmest finish you're likely to see at Spotland all season. His hand was already in the air celebrating the goal before the ball had crossed the line.

The Buckley goal proved to be something of a killer blow for the visitors who's energetic style caused them to fade as the game went on. If truth be told, we were never in much danger following the Buckley goal and it seemed like Stanley had resigned themselves to defeat.

We had a number of chances to extend the lead as we finally established our superiority over our visitors from up Edenfield Road. Evil had a decent effort from a free kick and substitute Higginbotham opted not to shoot when put through, preferring to hold the ball up and cross it over leading to a corner.

But it was former Accy loanee Higginbotham who had the final word, and with the world and his son expecting Evil to be the former Accy player getting on the team sheet, it was Higginbotham who quietly got on with securing that mantle. Running at the opposition with the ball at his feet, we had shades of last season, as he made space for himself before firing it past a hapless Dunbavin who really should have done better.

3-1, game over, and we could start chuckling and patronising about how Accy probably deserved more from the game than they actually got. For all our talk of over achievement in recent weeks, it was an underperformance which had led to a very decent return from the Xmas period and a much welcomed return to the Play Off places.

And to use the old cricketing messageboard analogy, it's around 33 runs required from 23 delieveries if we are to make the play offs again this season compared with the 38  we've picked up from the first 23. We're sitting very pretty indeed.