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I looked upon yesterday’s game as nothing more than a chance for the kids to have a run out against a side that I for one thought was full of journeymen and no hopers. Michael Higdon, Luke Varney and Billy Jones had done a good job in holding the fort while the big guns were absent through injury, meaning that I was confident they’d do a good job against a Conference side. It was a formality; I mean who the hell are Telford United?
Slack marking and a lack of communication meant that Lee Mills was allowed to head home after just eighty seconds to settle the game, and the Telford defence held firm to record an historic win, probably the greatest in their history. The likes of Nottingham Forest, Reading and Sunderland have left Gresty Road licking their wounds yet when a side comes and defends like their lives depend upon it we just cannot find a way to beat them.
That’s not to say we didn’t have opportunities. Dean Ashton was always a threat for the home side, and he tested the visiting keeper on numerous occasions following Mills’ opener. Chris Mackenzie was equal to anything our young guns could throw at him. When we did eventually beat him, the Gresty Road post deflected Ashton’s effort late on.
I guess it just wasn’t to be. Shit happens. I suppose we can look upon this a major reality check. The kids have done a great job for us over the past couple of weeks, but they are not supermen. Michael Higdon really struggled to keep up with the pace of the game, and questions need to be asked as to whether he can continue to cut it at this level. He has played four games now and if I’m honest, he has been the weakest link. That’s not to say his attitude isn’t there. He has not once hidden away and been carried by others, but he just isn’t all there.
Some might say it’s harsh to criticise youngsters, but I do not think he is good enough to hold down a regular place while the captain is out. I’m looking forward to Neil Sorvel’s return from injury. Mike has done his best but he’s not ready. The run outs have done him good and he has a lot of years left in him, its just not his time yet.
With the exception of Higdon, I thought the side was alright. Nobody played badly. Jonah was quiet, but he was constantly hounded by United defenders, who had done their homework on him. He had no time to turn and lets credit them for it. Defenders like Michael Dawson, Gary Breen, Jason De Vos and Julio Arca have found him impossible to defend against. The same goes for Kenny Lunt. Fitzroy Simpson did an excllent job in containing our gifted number four.
David Wright was very good in defence. A lot of the play came from him and was as reliable as ever. God, we will miss him if today's rumours of him joining Charlton are true. Tonkin was solid and substitutes Robinson and Jeffs, making his debut didn't put a foot wrong. It just wasn't to be.
We expected to breeze past Telford but at the end of the day, it’s a mad world. We were undoubtedly too cocky going into the game, with Alex fans predicting 4-0 and 5-0 wins, so if yesterday’s defeat has taught us anything, it is that nothing can be taken for granted, assuming is a recipe for disaster and counting chickens before they hatch is perilous.
It’s not the end of the world, there are worse things happening out there than losing to Telford United. We will be ridiculed by friends, family and workmates but at the end of the day people are dying across the world and this is fade into insignificance when compared to other things. It will soon seem like a distant memory, starting with the visit of beleaguered Wimbledon on Saturday.
Well done Telford, I genuinely hope you go onto draw a big side because you came here with a set out game plan, you played to your strengths and if we did get a late equaliser, it would have somewhat papered over the cracks. Yesterday showed that the kids aren't ready to play every week, so maybe Dario will wake up from his stubborn attitude and get some loan players in if the injury list doesn't clear up soon. Talking of injuries, Luke Varney dislocated his shoulder and is expected to be out for Wimbledon's visit next weekend.
A lacklustre Crewe just couldn’t find that little bit of a spark to win and the inexperienced side were not familiar with Telford’s tactics. Hopefully the injuries will start to clear up and we can concentrate on firstly avoiding relegation (lets not assume we are already safe, because yesterday showed we do assume, and assumption will come back to bite you in the arse sooner or later). If we reach that fifty points margin, we can really enjoy ourselves and look back on a great season.