Delayed Reaction

Crewe 3 Aldershot 1

Apologies for a slightly late update on the weekend's capers but been a busy bee. More of that after the match report....
Having gone a fair few matches unbeaten now, many Crewe fans were confident of getting something out of this one. Aldershot are no mugs though and hadn't got into the top 7 by accident. They don't score many but they don't let many in either. Until last Saturday, they had the second-meanest defence in the division....And it wasn't too hard to see why they had such a good defensive record - they were well organised at the back and the midfield were more than willing to do their share of defensive duties. Up front they had the pace and trickery of some decent players. Indeed, Crewe once looked at buying winger Damian Spencer  but his injury record counted against him.
The first half was a tight affair with both sides have a sniff at goal. Aldershot had the better chances early doors but Crewe gradually got into the game and it was fairly even for both sides. It wasn't too difficult though to see why Aldershot haven't scored that many goals this season. With chances at a premium, most of their efforts were blasted wide or blocked. They had a shout for a penalty too, but from where I was sat it looked like a dive. Meanwhile up the other end, Crewe's forwards were contriving to lose the ball in good positions and it looked like being a frustrating afternoon. Then, just before half-time, the game turned. Westwood played a ball to the feet of Donaldson in the middle of the park and he back-heeled it to Joel Grant. In acres of space Grant drew a man towards him before slipping the ball forward to Moore on the edge of the area. Moore held off his marker and made room to hit a shot past the keeper's despairing left hand. Two minutes later and Crewe were further ahead. After some neat passing, Westwood played in Blanchett overlapping down the left and he got the byline and cut the ball back for Grant to pass the ball into the far corner. Two nil and that was, to be fair, a bit harsh on the visitors.
As I said earlier, Aldershot are no mugs and they proved that in the second half. A couple of changes of personnel made all the difference and they carried more of a goal threat. Having survived a scare when Donaldson really should have added a third, Aldershot were back in the game just seven minutes  in. Good work down the left led to a low cross coming in and Jackson was one of three players waiting in the box for it. He had a simple tap-in and it was game on. Luckily for fans of a nervous disposition, Crewe restored their two goal cushion just six minutes later. Donaldson, taking the ball forward was caught, but the referee played advantage and the ball went out to Murphy on the right. He made it to the byline and put an inch-perfect cross on to the head of the onrushing Westwood, who powered the ball into the top corner.  Surely there'd be no coming back from that? Well, clearly not. There was however, a long stoppage after Blanchett went down following a clash of heads. He was stretchered off and a reshuffle saw Mitchell-King coming on at right-back and Tootle switching across to the vacant left-back slot.  Crewe still carried a threat going forward but Aldershot gave us a nervy last twenty minutes as they threw everything forward in order to try to get something out of the game. Jackson showed good skill to turn in the box and let off a shot. It beat the keeper but came ricocheting back off the bar. Then a header hit the outside of the post and Jackson was again a little unlucky as it bounced up and hit his hand as he tried to bring it under control. a few crosses also flashed across the box with no Aldershot player managing to get a decisive touch. In the end, and despite 9 minutes of injury time, Crewe held on.
The three points were more than welcome and moved the Alex above Aldershot and into the play-off places for the first time this season. Aldershot were a touch unlucky, though and on another day could have come away with a draw. Still, onwards and upwards and next up is the small matter of a local derby with neighbours-across-the-border, Port Vale. The Vale have been flying until recent weeks when the curse of the Manager of the Month award struck and they've not won in four. They've only lost one of them those, so bound to be a tricky game. Looking forward to it though.

Anyway, in other news, the reason I've been a bit slow with this update is that I've been out watching other games. Sunday I went to Gresty Road to watch a Charity XI take on a side captained by Italian legend Franco Baresi. It was a decent game and good fun, although a little cold. Baresi's team were leading 2-1 at half-time but took advantage as the other side tired and ran out 8-3 winners. Baresi himself came off with about ten minutes left and then spent five of those minutes signing autographs on his way back to the changing room. Top man.  Following that, I spent Monday night watching Nantwich Town Youth in the FA Youth Cup against Fleetwood. Nantwich were undone by a soft first goal when a defensive mix-up between keeper and full-back let in the opposition striker. The second goal was well-worked but the third was a disputed penalty and there seemed to be no way back from there. Nantwich did pull one back just before half-time and played much better in the second half. Mind, the tackles were flying in fast and furious  throughout that second half and it was a surprise to me that no one got sent off. Indeed the ref kept his cards in his pocket, even when there was a bit of "handbags" following one particularly tasty challenge. Nantwich pulled a second goal back but they'd given themselves too much of a mountain to climb and Fleetwood saw the game out to win 3-2.  In marked contrast, last night I went to see Crewe Youth in the same competition and they played opponents AFC Fylde off the park. They won 4-0 but really it could, indeed should, have been more emphatic. Harry Clayton got the first, knocking in the rebound after Powell's exquisite chip came back off the bar. Then Powell himself scored a tap in after good work down the left, The second half was a little more even as Crewe took their foot off the gas a bit but they still looked comfortable. Koral added a third with a drive from distance which caught out the keeper on the near post - he, like everyone else in the ground was expecting a cross. Then Sean Cooke got up to score the penalty that he had won. To be honest, I felt a bit sorry for the Fylde lads - they were obviously outclassed and one or two of them were getting wound up by it. There was no disgrace in being beaten by a bunch of lads who play against the likes of Manchesters Utd and City, Liverpool and Everton every week. Not to mention the two England U16 Internationals in the team...
So that's it for me - busy football week next week too - Vale away on Saturday and then Shrewsbury at home on Tuesday night. Four points (or more) from them games should set us up nicely for the trip to Tamworth in the first round of the FA Cup. Bring it on.