da bet sport：
da pixbet： I wanted to write, in the main, about Nick Powell. I wanted to exhume from the keyboard a fitting tribute to the 17 year old attacker’s virtuoso performance that earned him a glowing write-up in the Independent Newspaper and one that was indicative of the exciting talent that secured the League Two Apprentice of the year award at the following night’s Football League awards.
However, the abiding memory from the roller-coaster 3-4 win at Gillingham on Saturday was not Powell’s wonderful 30 yard strike, or his burst of pace and vision to tee up Ajay Leitch-Smith for a second goal, or his instinctive control and volleyed effort to make it 3-1 to Crewe.
No sadly, it was events at the other end that nearly contrived to render Powell’s contribution to this game, one that far belies the logic of his tender age, irrelevant as another seemingly comfortable lead was tossed away only to be rescued from the clutches of bitter disappointment and frustration by another 17 year old prodigy, striker Max Clayton.
For the first hour, Crewe were flying in Kent, Powell was displaying his ferocious talents that had attracted two rows of scouts to Priestfield while Leitch-Smith was announcing his arrival with a performance of energy and clever movement. Luke Murphy and Byron Moore were making supporting runs to swarm a Gills backline that was completely over-occupied with men. But there is always a nagging feeling that 2 goals is never enough with a Crewe team and here it was no different. Already having showcased the naïve defending that had allowed Jack Payne to equalise just after half time; disaster seemed to be rolling up its sleeves when Dan Shelley’s brittle clearing header only managed to reach Chris Whelpdale to volley in for 2-3.
Then it was nerves jangling time. It’s a well-established fact that Crewe don’t do defending and with only one clean sheet in ten games which had included a slapstick self-demolition job at home to Wimbledon and a tightrope-walk at home to Burton Albion when appearing to have negotiated the difficult part at 3-1 up, it was inevitable the walls would cave in completely at any time. They duly did, Matt Tootle who was immersed in a horrific performance at left back, allowed Payne to flash a header at goalkeeper Steve Philips and Gillingham’s own 17 year old Ashley Miller was on hand to make it 3-3. Just like Wimbledon, the implode button had been pressed and another ridiculous surrender of two points was on the cards until Gills’ defender Daniel Spiller got caught up in the frenetic lunacy to attract a red card for a rash challenge on substitute Jordan Brown to send a faint scent that any hopes of a win had not been completely disposed of. The man advantage became a factor as Crewe huffed and puffed, eventually blowing the house down in the dying embers as Moore crossed and Clayton headed himself onto the score-sheet that contained more 17 year olds than a driving test centre.
“Superb at times, pathetic at others” was the Steve Davis summary to a game that had been a barely relieving reminder that the comedic defensive errors as a result of a soft centre were as still as potent as they had been in recent seasons with matches at Chesterfield and Morecambe. The diabolical surrender of Wimbledon would still have been fresh in the memory from four matches ago and it brought the tally of goals conceded up to 52, a figure only surpassed by eight teams in the division and Macclesfield, who sit in 21st, have shipped seven less. Crewe are the only team in the top half not to be in positive goal difference and it would be incredulous of Davis to believe the play-offs are within touch if his side are to maintain the habit of having to score four goals to win a single match.
As it was, Clayton’s header re-installed some hope of a play-off position as the gap on Oxford was closed to within 3 points with their loss at Bradford, but any infactuation of hope amongst the Alex faithful that will be in full voice when Paulo Di Canio’s league leaders of Swindon come to visit on Saturday, will have to be founded on the premise that the sloppy defensive errors and the alarming concession rate will be stamped out. Alan Connell and Andy Ritchie both sit on ten goals each while Paul Benson’s winner over Cheltenham saw him close to within one of that tally, it is a fearsome prospect for Swindon’s fire-power, that has yielded 61 goals in total in League Two this season, to go up against Crewe’s creaky back-line.
Enthusiastic optimism that Crewe can take points off the league leaders that are in the most fearsome form of 12 wins from their last 13 games, will come from the form of Powell and the returning Ajay who can work their magic as part of a fluent front four that will have to take the battle to Di Canio’s juggernaut from the offset. Similarly to the opening day of the season where Dario Gradi’s youngsters were the better team in the first half and were close to running away with it before surrendering to superior finishing in the second. Sound familiar? The Alex lost 3-0 that day but there has been a lot of water under the bridge since then, Davis has forged a stronger mentality that was so obvious in the final ten minutes against Gillingham where they would not take another draw.
The boss still speaks excitedly of League One football next season and a real belief vents from the Reaseheath training complex. Take something from Swindon and any over-zealous ambition of a top seven finish would be back in the realms of fruitful possibility, but the gaping holes at the back simply must be plugged if we are to have any chance of realising this dream.
By Crewe blogger Adam Gray
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