ROCHDALE boss Jimmy McNulty was angry with the timing of Southend United’s winner on Saturday.

Josh Walker bagged the only goal of the game for the Shrimpers on the stroke of half-time.

But McNulty was unhappy play was allowed to continue beyond the allotted two minutes of injury time.

“I had my time to calm down and asked the fourth official why the game was still allowed to be playing that long after the two minute period,” McNulty told the club’s YouTube channel.

“He told me and I haven’t checked it yet that Southend scored 20 to 25 seconds over the allotted time.

“He said the referee can’t stop play when a team is where they were on the pitch because imagine what would the reaction would be.

“But for me, why does it matter what the reaction would be?

“Interpretation isn’t fair. The officials are there for the laws of the game and time is fair.”

As such, McNulty felt the game should have stopped before the Shrimpers scored.

“If we were about to put the ball in the net or they are but time is up then it’s fine,” said McNulty.

“Time is time and the clock is fair so officiate by the laws of the game.

“The fourth official said time was up but that he understood why the ref played on but I don’t.

“I’m baffled, when time is up blow the whistle.”

However, the Shrimpers made the most of the extra time played to pick up a win McNulty felt was not a fair reflection of the game.

“It’s difficult because it’s not a 1-0 Southend game,” said McNulty.

“It wasn’t a good Rochdale performance but it’s not a 1-0 Southend game and when it’s scored when time is up and we should be on our way back into the changing room it’s hard to take.”

But McNulty also admitted his own side were not at their best.

“I just don’t think we performed well and we weren’t very good,” said McNulty.

“The most disappointing aspect was that we lost the chance to use the skills of our very good players by not knowing what we should do.

“We didn’t play how we practise, and it was one of the most challenging games for me from a coaching perspective.

“We didn’t look overly threatening at all and the game had a disappointing tinge to it.

“Southend didn’t have much at all in the game and it was a pretty poor game.

“On the balance of play as a neutral and not being Rochdale affiliated I may even think a fair result was a draw to be honest.

The defeat saw Rochdale slip to sixth in the standings and McNulty is now targeting a return to winning ways against Halifax Town on Tuesday night.

“Football challenges you like this so on we go,” said McNulty.

“Whenever we don’t play well I find it hard to feel hard done by.

“We take the loss on the chin, we’ll be humble and go back to the training ground and try to be better.”