Cardiff 3 Crewe 0. Match Report

14 goals so far

Lennie’s hands were tied for team selection. The injured list included Whalley, Robinson, Bowen and Lee whilst Peter Thorne was only able to play thanks to a large dose of painkillers for his neck ligament damage. For a home game, it left Lennie with a substitute bench with 3 defenders (Croft, Prior- eek Prior! and Collins) as well as keeper Margetson and Andy Campbell. There were no midfield options at all which again suggested our squad is not large enough to maintain a season long challenge, if that is still in the thoughts of Sam and Lennie. .

City lined up with Alexander back in goals (despite Margetson’s heroics against West Ham in the Coca Cola Cup whilst the Scotsman rested), Weston-Gabiddon (1st league start since injury at Forest away 5 weeks ago)-Vidmar-Barker defensively, Langley (back after being cup tied in midweek)-Boland-Kav-Bonner in the middle and Thorne and Earnie in attack.

Crewe had their own problems starting at the top where Dario Gradi (now manager there for over 20 years) was absent for a Crewe league game the first time in a decade following a heart operation last weekend, best wishes for a speedy recovery. His assistant, Neil Baker, took charge.

Trinidadian international Clayton Ince kept goals (he can be spectacularly inconsistent but not as bad as the Nigerian deputy Bankole who has made a career out of bloopers). A defence of Wright-Walker-Foster-Tonkin, midfield were Lunt-Brammer-Vaughan-Cockrane with attack of Ashton (a teenager with a horrid dyed blonde on one side quiff) and Edwards. It is a tribute to Crewe’s “puppy farm” set up that no outfield, apart from Brammer, was aged more than 23 and 7 were produced through their own system. I can’t think of any other Division One club who could or would do that.

City had spoiled us so far this season with football standards and entertainment and we were surely overdue a poor half of football, the first half was it – tight, a little tedious and lacking any telling quality - yet we were ahead by the interval with a goal scored on half-time.

There were good chances to both teams. City started fine with Earnie firing over in the first minute then Kav’s effort was blocked for a corner before Earnie was just denied from the following corner. From that, Crewe almost shook the home side as they won a corner, found Ashton in clear space in the area but his snatched effort was turned around the post by Alexander when he should have finished. The reason Crewe failed to score was due to Ashton’s finishing in front of goal as much as strong Bluebird defence as he missed a hatful of chances.

After that let off, the game settled with few moments of excitement. The biggest applause came from the home crowd for Langley and Earnie not for their attacking prowess but coming back to help the defence and cut out moments of dangers.

On 18 minutes, Kav rudely interrupted the sleep of 14,385 including 200 or so Crewe followers by advancing 20 yards, slipping a man and unleashing a 25 yard drive with real venom that Ince could only parry then just tip the ball behind as Thorne raced in for the rebound. From the resulting corner, Ince saved his side again acrobatically tipping over Vidmar’s header across goal just as it was about to loop under the bar.

Earnie was playing like a provider, rather than his usual role, and three times, he provided good balls ahead for Peter Thorne. Thorney however lost each time as he ran to collect in a semi-circle style rather than directly ahead for the ball. On 25 however, he placed Richard Langley clear on goal with another brilliant piercing ball. Langley took up the invitation and took it inside the area where, now closed down by two defenders, he fired a foot wide but should have hit the target.

Ashton had another moment that suggested he would have been better used at Ashton the Fishmongers in Central Market than on a football pitch when he had a free header from 8 yards but nodded it without power straight to Alexander, thank you very much.

The game was a dull affair but, on 44 minutes, when you felt it would be a blank first-half, Kav and Crewe’s poor defending combined to open the score. Mark Bonner was having a very average opening period but his arrowed ball found Kav bursting into the area at an angle. He chested but took it wide so turned near on the edge of the area and sent a ‘hit and hope’ ball low across goal. It was just as well Gradi was away as the following action would never have helped his heart as two Crewe defenders mishit then completely missed the ball for a disbelieving PETER THORNE to knock it past Ince at the far post from 6 yards.

Anyone else have brief half-time kittens as they saw Spencer Prior actively warming up on the pitch?

Half-time: CITY 1 CREWE 0

There were two major worries for City fans at half-time. Firstly, when they saw Spencer Prior actively warming up during the interval but then as Graham Kavanagh, now absolutely pivotal to City, came back out limping very heavily but he seemed ok once the action restarted.

Crewe made a change as McCready, 22 and more local produce, replaced right back Wright apparently punished for his howler in the build up for City’s goal although he was threatened with the axe before kick-off after needlessly giving away the penalty that sent Crewe to defeat in midweek Carling Cup action at Leicester.

City almost doubled their lead in the opening minute of the 2nd half as Langley made Ince save from a swirling Kav corner and Earnie hit the rebound over but Kav, turning in another man of the match display, inventive, full of running and not a stray pass crowned his performance by creating the killer second goal on 52 minutes.

Taking an inside pass from Willie Boland, also turning in another excellent showing, he threaded a through ball that few can for EARNIE to chase clear on goal (as few can too) and waited for Ince to come out before poking the ball past him from 15 yards into the corner of goal in front of the Family Stand. It was his 14th of the season keeping him 6 ahead of the next best scorer at this level and 2 in front of Thierre Henry as the country’s leading scorer. No wonder he celebrated with a triple somersault, the last one sending him to the floor which he then somersaulted himself back to his feet again.

Rather than a signal to kill off Crewe, it sent them into an attacking frenzy as Ashton (obviously a 19 year old with great prospects with 4 goals this season and 27 in 73 starts fro the Railwaymen) with good touches and strength around the box produced more appalling finishing in front of goal by missing three clear cut chances in the following 10 minutes. One effort he deflected wide and then missed two perfect balls across the 6 yard box and one went by his feet and another whistled by his head for which he earned a shoulder injury as he landed awkwardly in the Grange End net. The Grange End, of course, loved it and Ashton was now getting fearful stick from them.

Crewe, as befits their style, but for me, none stood out more than David Vaughan, a 20 year old Welshman who made his international debut in USA during the summer. Small in height but big in stature, his terrier style was allied to some excellent passing and play. Dare I suggest the sort of midfielder that would be an asset at this club?

The game had now opened up, Crewe certainly had enough chances to have scored and are probably still working out how they didn’t but there were more Bluebird opportunities too as Ince saved from Kav (who deserved a goal for his efforts), Langley
and Earnie but were also denied inflicting greater damage on Crewe by a poor linesman who, three times, flagged offside against players not inferring with play coming back as Earnie, Thorne and, later, Campbell went sent through on goal.

Chris Barker gave another great show that won him sponsor man of the match (even though it was Kav) and came very close as he helped create a move from in City’s half, got forward in support, took a return ball and fired home off the near post but was rightly disallowed for him taking the ball down on his arm.

In the vent, there was one more goal only and it fell City’s way on an afternoon was it was the quality of finishing (plus Kav’s midfield display) that were the true factors separating the teams.

Crewe’s defence seemed to tire late on and were duly punished as PETER THORNE was allowed time and space in the area to chest down a floated Boland cross, turn and fire home a lofted drive that would have gone in regardless of the slight deflection it took for his 2nd of the afternoon and 4th in 6 games taking over from Alan Lee to remind everyone of his quality. And yes, the Peter Thorne is Magic chant boomed out long and loud all around the ground.

Lennie made closing subs as Campbell, Collins and Croft all appeared in the final 5 minutes for Boland, Earnie and Thorne. Kav stayed to the end despite his limping 2nd half start and, later, needing prolonged treatment after turning his ankle which hopefully is now fully recovered. City had chances to have scored more as twice Campbell got the ball tangled under his feet and Crewe were now ragged but 3-0 was a barely deserved score so four would have been greedy.

It was the boost City ended and helped them return to the upper half of the table in 9th place. Next comes a test against the other promoted side, Wigan (now 2nd), at Ninian on Tuesday night. It’s a big game.