Rochdale's clash with Oldham was abandoned after just seven minutes because of a waterlogged pitch at Spotland.
Both sides were geared up for the big derby match - the first time the two had met in the league in 36 years - but it ended in a damp squib after heavy rain swept the north west.
Referee Tony Bates called an early halt to proceedings with the ball barely running across the sodden surface and while Dale chief Keith Hill questioned the timing of the official’s call he was in full agreement with the decision to postpone.
As well as protecting both sets of the players, it also meant the Spotland pitch remained unscathed ahead of Friday’s FA Cup first round clash against FC United.
“The referee made the right decision because you do not want to be judged on a result that could have gone either way because of the condition of the pitch,” said Hill. “It was quite obvious it wasn’t playable, it was becoming a farce and he was right to protect the players.
“It was playable late in the afternoon but during the warm up the ball wasn’t moving correctly and the rain showed no signs of easing up. The goalkeepers were trying to bounce the ball and it just wasn’t bouncing, so the referee had no choice.
"It was the right decision, probably made at the wrong time. It was unfortunate in that respect but there’s nothing you can do – we want a fair and even contest and we wouldn’t have got that on that surface.
“Whether or not the game should have started is the only question that you could point in the direction of the match officials. He gave it a go. Was he right to do so? I’m not sure. You are looking for the referee to try to get these fixtures on at all costs, unfortunately we’ve not been able to see the game through but we have an exciting game to look forward to on Friday against FC United, and the pitch will be good for that match. We didn’t want the pitch ripping up for the sake of one game.”
Heavy rain throughout the afternoon made the surface unplayable, the ball barely running across the turf and posing a serious threat to the players. Both sides had chances to score during the brief encounter and both opportunities were down to the state of the pitch.
Anthony Elding seized on a back pass from Dean Furman which fell comically short of goalkeeper Dean Brill, the Dale striker sending his angled shot wide of the far post. Soon after, Craig Dawson attempted a similar pass to Josh Lillis and once again the ball fell short, Oumare Tonkara close to capitalising.
Latics chief Paul Dickov also agreed with Bates’ decision to postpone – but was critical of the timing.
“It was a call that could have been made two hours earlier,” he said. “I don’t think the referee had any choice but to call it off, but it could have been done at six o’clock. The pitch was in the same condition at six o’clock as it was when he called it off and we were told there was more rain coming.
“I said to the lads in the dressing room before the game kicked off that it was going ahead so there would be no excuses, but why the referee gave the go ahead when the ball wasn’t running down the sides of the pitch is beyond me. It wasn’t bouncing at six o’clock and it wasn’t bouncing at half past seven.”
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