Glass Candle Grenades

Aldershot 3 Crewe 2

With old friends returning to Nantwich for the day, there was no way I could go to Aldershot and get back in time for the evening of drinking and dining that we had planned, so I gave this one a miss. I know that makes me look like a part-timer, but I did do the midweek trip to Torquay and am off Northampton next week for another midweek game. Having seen the highlights on TV, I'm quite glad that I didn't go - Crewe gave away some shocking goals and threw away a point in the last minute of injury time. Also, the ground at Aldershot doesn't seem to have changed since I was there more than twenty years ago, and it was a bit of a tramp-hole then! So another disappointing defeat on the road for the Alex, although the teams around them in the table didn't take advantage and they remain just three points off the automatic promotion places.
Whilst the Alex were committing suicide in spectacular fashion (a red card for the keeper and conceding from the resultant free kick) I was with some old friends on the terrace at Nantwich Town. We were rewarded with a consummate display of missed opportunities from the Dabbers as they failed to make their superiority count. Having hit the bar twice and then the post in the first half, they were undone in the second half when Bradford Park Avenue scored what would prove to be the  only game of the game. Despite throwing everything at the opposition Nantwich couldn't score, being thwarted by goalkeeper, woodwork and their own deficiencies. 
Post-match it was off to the pub to watch Villa play Manchester City before heading off to the Aroi Thai restaurant. The food was, as usual, absolutely superb, although the service was fairly slow. To be fair, they were extremely busy (what with it being Holly Holy Day and all) but the capers I had getting a pint of lager were a bit much. In the end I ended up with two on the table - one I'd fetched myself from the bar and one which arrived minutes later. Oh well, saved me ordering another one later. The meal was great and decent value too - with drinks it worked out at little over £22 a head, plus the tip. Thoroughly recommended.
Next up for Crewe is tonight's game with Bradford. A game that has had a little more attention thrown on it this week after Andy Gray and Richard Keys were recorded talking in unflattering terms about tonight's assistant referee, Sian Massey. Let's hope that all we're talking about afterwards is another Crewe win...