Slide Machine

Crewe 0 Rotherham 1

Having not managed to fit in the "lucky" walk before any of Crewe's previous defeats, I was off out early on Saturday morning for another yomp round Bickerton Hills. This time we (myself and my mate Charlie) took the same loop as before the seven nil thrashing of Barnet, but in reverse. That is, we walked it in the opposite direction, not walked backwards... In the reverse direction, the loop starts with a steep descent  then climbs to the top of Rawhead before descending back to the starting point. In terms of manageability for unfit, fat bastards like me, it's a lot easier than finishing with the steep descent. In terms of luck, the gods clearly demand more effort and I should have walked it in the original direction.
Mind you, the way Crewe played on Saturday afternoon, I don't think it would have helped if I'd walked it a couple more times. They were pretty dire. Rotherham got off to a flying start and were ahead after less than two minutes when Crewe defender Dugdale knocked a corner into his own net. After that, Rotherham dominated the game and could have been out of sight before the twenty minute mark was reached. Luckily, they weren't and Crewe had a glorious chance to level the scores when Westwood went through with only the keeper to beat. Unfortunately Westwood dragged his shot just wide of the far post. Donaldson then saw a snap shot well saved by the Rotherham keeper but that was about the sum total of the Crewe efforts on goal in the first half.  Meanwhile Rotherham looked comfortable and threatened every time they had a corner. Crewe's switch to three at the back was not doing them any favours. In the end we were all slightly relieved to get to half time trailing by a single goal.
Dario isn't one for making changes at half time, and to be fair, he had few options available to him on the bench. The second half saw a better display from the Alex, but they weren't creating anyway near enough chances to threaten an equaliser. and when Dugdale did force the Rotherham keeper into action, the referee awarded a goal-kick instead of the obvious corner. Mind, the ref wasn't having a great game - a couple of times in the second half he awarded what looked like harsh free-kicks and then almost immediately gave a free-kick the other way to even things up. No arguing about the penalty decision., though. Ada was bean by a deep cross and had his hand up when the striker headed it back across. Definite handball. Fortunately, Taylor made a superb save from Le Fondre's spot kick to keep the score at nil one. despite that let-off Crewe couldn't make the most of it and the game ended with Rotherham looking fairly comfortable.
Disappointing. Hard to tell though whether Crewe played that badly or Rotherham made them look poor. Certainly Rotherham look a decent team, perhaps the best that we've seen at Gresty Road so far this season. And that lucky walk route is clearly now off the list. Might have to try to seven nil direction next time I get out to the hills. But that won't be this weekend when I'm off to Bridlington for a long-arranged trip to see Status Quo, or next weekend when Charlie is in Edinburgh. Might have to have a stroll along the canal or something instead.....