Beech bemoans below-par Dale

Assistant boss Chris Beech conceded Rochdale were not at their best in their 3-0 Johnstone's Paint Trophy loss at Chesterfield.

Ollie Banks scored his first goals for the Spireites and Armand Gnanduillet got the second with the impressive Gary Roberts setting up all three. Chesterfield dominated the first half with Banks heading in a Roberts cross in added time, but Dale improved after the break and Henderson thought he had equalised in the 52nd minute, only for referee Chris Sarginson to rule offside after consulting an assistant. Henderson also struck a post before Roberts crossed low for Gnanduillet to pounce from 10 yards in the 73rd minute and Banks sealed victory six minutes later after another clinical Roberts pass. Beech said: "We know we weren't at our best, there's no question about that. "As staff and as players we have an understanding we are better than that, but at the same time I feel there has been a little bit of injustice simply because goals do change games. "Coming out second half we've hit that 15-minute period where we've scored a goal which should stand with the video evidence we've just looked at in the changing room. "Even if our player played the ball he was not in an offside position but it came off a defender's foot. "That frustrates players and it would have been a psychological blow to Chesterfield and a few moments later Ian Henderson licked the paint off the post with a shot. "On another day we might get the rub of the green but we are definitely not blaming the referee because we know we are better than that."