Dreams of the play-offs have now slipped. We failed to cover up the injuries and gaps in the team and its cost us a good 8 points, 8 points that would have put us 6th. Well maybe those dreams were just that… dreams.
Today was just frustrating all round. Despite the rain coming down non-stop from kick off we had a fantastic pitch, if we had it last season we would have won Division Two. Anways onto the match. The line up was as expect. The only change was Edwards for Ashton, who’s injured.
Ince
B.Jones - Foster - Wright - Tonkin
Rix - Sorvel - Higdon - Lunt
Edwards - S.Jones
The game started with Crewe kicking right to left, Family stand to Gresty Road End. In the first 10 minutes it’s hard to say what actually happened. Well, nothing did. Spells of pressure from Millwall while we tried to break on the counter attack, Millwall couldn’t get in the final ball and our lightweight attack just wasn’t up to doing anything.
The 10th minute saw the first real chance. Billy was caught out down the right with lack of support from Ben Rix and it allowed Peter Sweeney to go forward, making Foster back off until he sent a screaming ball along the ground towards the bottom right corner from 25 yards. Ince ushered it out of play but in the end it only just brushed past the post.
It gave Crewe a mini wake up call and we started playing more attack minded. Lay-offs from Edwards to Jones were not quite developing into anything whilst Kenny Lunt’s final ball was poor but Paul Edwards managed to make a chance of his own in the 15th minute. Down the left on the edge of the area, he managed to get goal side of his marker, a throw in allowed Edwards to take it on his chest before turning and entering into the penalty area only for his shot to fly into the side netting.
Fans started to get behind the Alex, if only for Ince to have everyone’s head in their hands. Foster ushered a ball back to Ince and as Foz ordered Ince to pick it up Ince refused until Dichio had charged in and nutmegged Ince…. Fortunately Ince had enough time to turn around and recover the ball.
Millwall started to show the ’nasty’ side with tackles flying in left right and centre. Billy Jones was subject to a few late sliding tackles and Paul Ifill refused to allow Tonkin to have a easy day as he dived over every tackle put in by the Cornishman.
Stuck for any more action in the first half, fast forward to the last five minutes of the first half. A eventful five minutes which saw Lunt have two golden opportunities before Millwall went up the other end and scored.
First Edwards was man handled to the ground by the Millwall defence 25 yards out. It was a perfect opportunity for Lunt to curl one home but he chipped into into the bundle of players and it was headed out by Muscat, Sorvel picked it up before Ifill fouled him. Another free kick on the edge of the “D”. After much dispute with the referee Lunt tried to force the Millwall wall back a further 3 or 4 yards, as they certainly weren’t 10 yards, instead of bothering with that the referee had a ingenious idea… move the ball back 3 yards. Lunt wasn’t going to win the battle so had to make do, his free kick went into the area only to be caught by Andy Marshall.
Within 45 seconds it was 1-0 to Millwall. They surged forward and when Ifill fed Daniele Dichio, Dichio ran onto the ball in the right of the area beating Wright’s offside trap(Who doesn’t?) and as Ince came storming of his line Dichio just chipped it over him… 0-1
Second Half
Crewe started the second half much brighter and were out playing Millwall for the first time in the match. Paul Edwards volleyed wide from 30 yards in the opening minutes before, on the 50th minute, Rix toe poked a ball behind Millwall’s defence. Steve Jones found himself free inside the area and drove into the back of the net. The linesman, though, has long since had his flag up.
After a dull ish period Crewe shocked Millwall with a goal out of the blue. A foul on Paul Edwards 35 yards out, on the left wing, allowed Lunt to float a ball in long. 15 players in the box, a little movement before Alex fans saw the ball bounce up over the Millwall keeper and into the back of the net. Millwall’s Andy Roberts the guilty party, with his head.
As the clock ran down into the last ten minutes it looked as though it was heading for a 1-1 draw. Even so, we were looking the more likely to pinch the win. James Robinson came on and made up a 4-3-3 formation.
It was Edwards and Hidgon who should have done something. Firstly Edwards’ header caught Andy Marshall napping, it looked to be sneaking in at the right post but he managed to get across and parry it out. Whilst Edwards could have scored it was Higdon who should have scored.
Robinson fed Higdon as he charged into the area, he was being pressured by a defender but his shot was piss poor and didn’t even hit the target as it crashed into the side netting.
We had given up on scoring a winner and settled for a draw and started passing it around our own area only for Sorvel to totally mess up and lose the ball, at the same time laying it off to Dichio. From 30 yards Dichio took two strides before firing low, Ince was hopeless as it hit the bottom left corner. It signalled for 6,000 Alex fans to leave the ground feeling like their guts had been ripped out.
Ten points we’ve lost with last minute goals, plus pride at Stoke. It’s a joke and a frustrating one of those. 91st minute and we couldn’t defend a weak shot from 30 yards.
Neither team were great, we were piss poor all over the place. Bunch of hypocrites some fans, they can’t slate Ashton enough when he’s out there carrying our attacking force but when he’s gone they can’t stop wiping the tears… good job you didn’t get your own way of selling him in August and September. Maybe ‘fans’ will wake up and appreciate Ashton for being here and being our best striker!
The goalkeeping situation is embarrassing, Ince conceded 6 goals at Ipswich and four were his fault… why does he get to keep his place? I don’t care if we play Richard Walker in goal but as long as Ince doesn’t get too comfy. He’s shown his ineptness and deserves to lose his place. He can’t kick, he can’t deal with crosses anymore and he can’t deal with long shots…. Strange how we’re now seeing more long shots against us than any other time in recent times.
Our defence played decent enough, I thought. Tonkin is turning out to be a good signing and I can’t believe I heard people are questioning him. He can be troubled with tricky players but so can all players. He’s a joy to watch going forward and is improving in the defensive department.
Whilst the defence played well, I can’t see why we are playing David Wright in the centre when Adie Moses and Richard Walker are both fit. Sort it out Dario, lets see a more stable defence.
The midfield, well. Neil Sorvel shouldn’t even be in the team. He lost us the game and for 90 he showed his Division 2 quality… not good enough. Michael Higdon, strange one this. I’ve slated him ever since he came into the team as he wasn’t showing any signs of being up to the standard but yesterday seemed to be the final straw for most fans, whilst I saw signs of improvement from Higdon. He wasn’t getting caught out stood static staring at the ball at all and looked more comfortable on the ball, also showed some good runs. Give him time, he may just become quality.
Kenny Lunt was good if his passing wasn’t so bloody awful and Ben Rix was average yet our best midfielder. Up front was our real problem, there just wasn’t anything there. We missed Ashton so much, no one could bring players into play despite Edwards’ best efforts. This meant Stevie Jones had no chance of getting the ball and rarely got a touch in 90 minutes.
It highlights how much we need Ashton in the team and if he isn’t there then why haven’t we got a big strong striker to back him up? Maybe Zayed can prove his worth.
Bitter old Walsall next, we’ll probably win…. Now leave me alone while I dream of seeing this starting 11:
Tomlinson
Wright
Moses
Foster
Tonkin
Lunt
Cochrane
Brammer
Vaughan
Ashton
Jones