Down to Earth...

Cheltenham 3 Crewe 2
After the Lord Mayor's show in beating Derby, here comes the horse and cart as the Alex slip to a second league defeat of the season. At least we're consistent - played 2, lost 2. The day had started so well too, with a few relaxed beers at the Lower Lode Inn in Forthampton. Nice place, decent beers and there was a Scooter rally going on. Probably should have stayed there rather than going to the match.
As for the game itself, well. We started brightly, got overwhelmed for the next thirty minutes or so till Dario changed the formation and then it was a fairly even contest, although no Crewe fan could surely have been happy with the sight of leading scorer Calvin Zola playing just in front of the back four..... Patrick Ada put us ahead after 4 minutes with a great volley from a corner, but then Cheltenham were alll over us like a rash. Their midfield set up was pulling our midfield three hither and yon and we struggled to cope with their pace and movement. We conceded what I thought was a soft free-kick, failed to clear it and the 'Nam, were level. After that it was a bit backs to the wall, but we still created chances and had a good shout for a penalty downgraded to a free-kick on the edge of the area.  Just before half-time disaster struck as more half-hearted defending and some questionable refereeing let Cheltenham in with a sight of goal. Rhys Taylor half-smothered the effort but it squirmed away for Nam's Wesley Thomas to hook in his second. 
Early in the second half Zola restored parity, nodding in an Ashley Westwood free kick. And after that it was fairly level pegging. Then the old traits re-emerged, Jeff Goulding found himself with time and space in the penalty area and turned to put the ball in the corner. Crewe threw everything at Chelts in the last ten minutes or so but couldn't find a way through. Zola hit the outside of the post and Miller had another fair shout for a penalty turned down, but equally, the 'Nam could have scored a couple on the counter to put the game beyond us.
So another disappointing Saturday gone and still no points collected. Think the result was made worse by the fact that I'd had a decent morning, was stood in the Carlsberg Stand and couldn't get a drink, and had two of the smelliest, trampiest Crew fans stood in front of me all game. Would have moved if there'd been any spare space. Oh and the fact that the coach SatNav broke down, so I used mine on me phone and that ate my battery. Only had enough charge left to call me Dad before setting off home...
Too early to makes us relegation favourites, I think, but not too early to be worried about facing a long hard slog of a season. Which is what I was expecting.