Crewe Alexandra 1:3 Morecambe

Railwaymen Derailed by Athurian Legend in the Making.

Morecambe were on the road again this evening to complete a fixture which was postponed due to international call-ups just over a week ago for the Lancashire team. Gresty Road has not been a Happy Hunting Ground for the Shrimps in recent years. In their first game of the 2018-19 season, Jim Bentley’s side were hammered here six-nil – and it could have been more. Under Derek Adams, Morecambe Old Boy Dave Artell’s side managed five goals without reply a year later. Altogether, the Railwaymen have beaten the Shrimps eight times in fourteen previous meetings and lost only three.

But that was then and this was now. Crewe’s start to this season has been poor. With seven games played, they only had five points on the board prior to tonight’s game. Three of these were picked-up here last Saturday when Spurs loanee J’Neil Bennett scored a goal against Burton Albion and set-up another against a team which had been playing with only ten men for the last half hour or so. This was their first league victory so far and they had lost three of their previous five League One matches before that.

So tonight was probably as good a time as any for Morecambe to visit. After a really promising start to the season, Stephen Robinson’s men have struggled recently. It is no surprise that the loss of outstanding defender Sam Lavelle to Charlton Athletic (for whom the ex-Morecambe Skipper scored last Saturday) has led to poor defending by the Shrimps during their last two outings in his absence. They lost by the only goal of a dreary game at bottom club Doncaster last Saturday when they were unable to successfully defend a corner. In their previous match, they scored three excellent goals but shipped four against a tremendous Wimbledon side but again were caught wanting at set pieces; losing in injury time to another corner kick which was poorly defended. After the Doncaster defeat, Manager Stephen Robinson said:

“We have conceded from another set-play, and the reality is that if we don’t defend set pieces we will be in a relegation scrap. They’re a good football side as Crewe always are, they’re a side that knocks the ball about and they’re going to be a threat, like Doncaster.

The league table means nothing, everyone’s a threat in this league, every time somebody plays Morecambe, they feel they’ll get three points, or they should be taking points off Morecambe, we’re well aware of that. We’re going to be competitive, we have been in every single game, and this is going to be no different.”

Morecambe started the game in eighteenth position, just two points clear of the relegation places their Manager had spoken about. Robbo’s Opposite Number Dave Artell has also reflected on the loss of some of his own key players whilst the Transfer Window was open and the resultant negative effect on his team’s performance recently. He said about his team’s win last Saturday:

“There is no-one thinking we have got that first win and we have cracked it. Far from it, the players know there is a long way to go and we all have to keep working hard. It was a good win and a good performance for differing reasons. Now we have another home game against Morecambe and it gives us something to build on. If we can continue to improve then I am sure with the players we have we can create chances and score the goals we will need.”

As far as tonight’s game is concerned, he added:

“Morecambe will always hold a special place in my heart. It is a terrific club with really good people at its core. It is very similar to Crewe in that sense. It is one of the unfashionable sides and I don’t think Crewe or Morecambe are many people’s second teams if you like, but they have good people running through them and the fans are very knowledgeable and loyal. I enjoyed my time there as a player but there is no sentiment. There cannot be. I am manager of Crewe and I hope we beat them. It should be another good game and we are looking to win the game and get those back-to-back home wins if we can.”

It was dry and quite warm for the time of year with virtually no wind in Cheshire tonight as the game kicked-off. Both teams Took the Knee before the hosts literally got the ball rolling. The hosts immediately went onto the front foot and seemed to favour attacking down the flanks right from the off. Scott Kashket managed to send over two unchallenged crosses from the right within the opening minutes and with Kayne Ramsay also keen to move forward from his right-back berth, Greg Leigh looked like he was in for a busy evening. However, with just over seven minutes on the clock, it was Morecambe’s left full-back who picked up Scott Wooten’s excellent diagonal pass from the back, progressed up the Shrimps’ left and then produced a peach of a cross which Adam Phillips converted at the far post to put the visitors one goal to the good with their first decent attack of the evening. Almost immediately afterwards, Leigh then sent over another peach of a cross which Crewe goalkeeper Will Jääskeläinen spilled. Cole Stockton was quickest to react to the loose ball and was denied yet another goal this season when his effort was blocked on the goal-line by Terell Thomas. Morecambe’s goal machine then had another punt at goal after about seventeen minutes but his looping shot from the edge of the penalty area didn’t trouble the home goalie. There was applause from all sides of the ground after twenty-three minutes in tribute to Christian Mbulu; a young man sadly no longer with us who played for both clubs during his all too short career.  Crewe seemed to be getting a bit of a foothold in the game when Morecambe hit them with a sucker-punch after 28 minutes. Phillips played-in Wes McDonald on the Morecambe right; Wes sent the ball over and Arthur Gnahoua was in the right place at the right time to double the visitors’ advantage with an assured finish. Forty minutes were on the clock when the Crewe goalkeeper’s poor clearance was well controlled by Toumani Diagouraga who played the ball forwards to Shane McLoughlin, whose rising shot from a long way out clipped the top of the hosts’ crossbar on its way into touch. There was time left for the visitors to give the ball away near to the end of the half only for Kyle Letheren to save well from J’Neil Bennett at the cost of a corner. Crewe took this quickly and Morecambe’s Welsh stopper excelled himself with a tremendous save low down from a Callum Ainley shot.  As his defence seemed to be thinking about their half-time cup of tea, Letheren was forced into another outstanding save in injury time – this time from Bennett again, whose powerful shot seemed to be destined for the top corner of the goal. So Morecambe went back to the changing rooms in a comfortable position for once in recent times at Gresty Road. The only worry for Shrimps’ fans was the way they seemed to collectively stop concentrating at times in the game. On another occasion – but for the alertness of their goalkeeper – they might not have been winning quite so easily half way through the match.

Morecambe had the first chance of the second period after just a minute but Phillips’ direct shot from a free kick was nowhere near the target. Cole the Goal then put a shot over the bar only a few moments later. Crewe left back Rio Adebisi – who had endured a torrid time so far this evening – did well after four minutes of the restart to find Mikael Mandron, who belted the ball past Letheren to put Crewe firmly back into the game. As the home crowd belatedly came to life, Stephen Robinson took off Ryan Cooney – who had picked-up his traditional booking during the first half – and replaced him with Ryan McLaughlin. He also withdrew Les McDonald and attempted to shore-up the Shrimps defence by introducing Liam Gibson as well. Despite the change in formation, Crewe had the next good chance but Letheren again denied Ainley with a brilliant save at the cost of another corner with twenty-five minutes left. The home team were on top by this time and Morecambe were having trouble clearing their lines, continually clearing long only to see the ball immediately return into their own half. They struck again on the break though after seventy minutes when McLoughlin’s good cross from the right was hit by Stockton to Jääskeläinen’s left but the goalkeeper saved it without much trouble.  At the other end, Letheren was forced into action again after 82 minutes, saving well from Mandron who had run on to a pass from Ramsay.  The goalkeeper played a goal-kick to Cole after 85 minutes; Morecambe’s leading scorer controlled the ball beautifully and then found Gnahoua on the right for the winger to smash home a third goal for the visitors with his less-favoured foot to surely make the game safe. There were five minutes of injury time but the home team’s heads seemed to have already dropped and they never threatened to reduce the arrears any further.

It was Squeaky Bum time for large periods of the second half for the Shrimps tonight. They weathered whatever storm the Railwaymen managed to whip-up but the Manager’s key changes of personnel and shape proved to be too good for Dave Artell’s men. Crewe looked like a poor team this evening and on this showing, Dave must be worried about their prospects during the rest of the season. Their latest defeat saw them slip to twenty-second in League One. The very welcome three points saw Stephen Robinson’s men go up the table to fifteenth position.

Crewe Alexandra:  1 Will Jääskeläinen; 2 Kayne Ramsay; 3 Rio Adebisi; 5 Terell Thomas; 11 Callum Ainley (14 Oliver Finney 84’); 12 Mikael Mandron; 20 Josh Lundstram; 21 Donervon Daniels; 35 Scott Robertson; 37 J’Neil Bennett; 36 Scott Kashket (9 Chris Porter 74’).

Subs not used: 31 Dave Richards; 6 Luke Offord; 15 Callum McFadzean; 17 Madger Gomes; 22 Billy Sass-Davies.

Morecambe: 1 Kyle Letheren; 3 Greg Leigh; 4 Anthony O’Connor (C); 7 Wes McDonald (22 Liam Gibson 57’); 8 Toumani Diagouraga; 9 Cole Stockton (Y); 18 Adam Phillips (25 Alfie McCalmont 72’); 19 Shane McLoughlin; 21 Ryan Cooney (Y) (2 Ryan McLaughlin (Y) 57’); 31 Scott Wootten; 24 Arthur Gnahoua.

Subs Not Used:  20 Jökull Andrésson; 6 Callum Jones; 11 Josh McPake; 15 Ryan Delaney.

Ref:  Paul Howard.

Att: 3,542.