The journey to Crewe was fine enough with a good number of City fans travelling on the train (including me). We stopped off in Stafford for a drink, and just about made it to Crewe in time after all the trains started to go wrong in central England. Power lines down, 100mph gusts of wind, many weren’t as lucky as us and missed the whole of the first half. Stoke’s game just a few miles down the road was called off due to the high winds and to be fair, it ruined our game as a spectacle.
The team was changed from the midweek defeat to Reading, with James Collins given a long overdue start at centre back. Barker was the casualty as Vidmar moved to take his position at left back. In midfield, an unfamiliar looking line up as Boland made way for Bullock in the center.
City, backed by a vociferous away crowd started the game kicking with the wind, and spent much of the first period in Crewe’s half of the pitch. Alex’s debutant keeper Ben Williams, on loan from Manchester United, was kept very busy. It was a nightmare afternoon for goalkeepers and defenders as the ball moved around in the air. I don’t think a single goal kick got out of the home side’s half in the first 45 minutes, as the ball turned back on itself on many occasions.
City turned the screw in the opening half an hour. Earnie had the chance to open the scoring with an acrobatic overhead kick after the ball cleared the Crewe defence, but the connection wasn’t good enough and the effort flew well over.
Vidmar had a left footed effort brilliantly tipped away soon after and Langley’s effort was also saved. The subsequent scramble saw Williams again in action to block at close range. It looked like one of those days for City, and the thought was that we’d have to score before half time, otherwise with the wind against us second half we would be struggling.
Typically Crewe got back into the game, and Ashton was sent clear when the Bluebirds back four hesitated. Margetson got his angles right and was able to push the ball away before being cleared by the ever reliable Vidmar. Crewe then exerted a period of pressure and it took some dogged defending from the away side to keep the Railwaymen out.
Robinson almost put us in ahead at the break but his effort was pushed away, and it seems that Robbo will never break his scoring duck for City.
Half time 0-0 and Crewe must have fancied their chances with the wind in the second half.
As it turned out we were quite fortunate as the wind died slightly in the second half and the Bluebirds continued to dominate proceedings.
The game continued in the same vein as in the first half, City playing percentage balls from the back, occasionally trying to get Robinson and Vidmar free down the flanks. Alan Lee worked tirelessly up front in tricky conditions and Earnshaw looked out of sorts.
Just when it looked like the game was drifting away, a scramble in the box saw Croft pull down the ball and put in clever lobbed volley towards the far post. Williams dived for it and couldn’t reach it. The ball smacked off the post, hit the hapless keeper and went over the line. Robinson steamed in to make sure by tapping the ball home, but the goal was already given. Harsh on the Crewe keeper who had such a good game, but exactly what we were looking for. 1-0 City with 20 minutes to go.
It was clear that the last quarter wasn’t going to be pretty. The reliable James Collins headed and cleared the ball on numerous occasions as Crewe pushed on for the equalizer. Crewe threw on forward players, Lawrence responded by taking off Bullock and putting Barker on at the back to leave us with three centre backs to repel the aerial attacks in the last 10 minutes.
Crewe came very close with a header going narrowly wide late on and Ashton missing a chance he should really have put away, but City held out to nick the three points with Gavin Gordon coming on late on to replace the hardworking Lee.
The work rate of the midfield on Saturday was exceptional. With 5 minutes to go I noticed Whalley, Langley and Robinson all running full pelt to get back behind the ball after a City attack broke down. The character and spirit of the side on Saturday was what got us the result, as there was little good football on display in the trying conditions. Langley, watched as always by his family from the away end, put in a much improved performance to silence his doubters.
The journey back was a nightmare for many on the trains, with all lines to Birmingham out of action, it took the 1927 club trip seven hours to get back to London, and around four and a half hours back to Cardiff, via replacement bus services and all sorts of other nonsense.
City are officially safe, with the mythical 50 point barrier broken, we have nine games left to push as far up the table as possible.
Report from FootyMad
Debutant goalkeeper Ben Williams scored a freak own goal to hand the three points to a Cardiff team he had previously kept at bay with a string of superb saves.
The Manchester United keeper was brought in by Crewe manager Dario Gradi to cover for injured number one Clayton Ince and made an immediate impression with some fine blocks to frustrate the visitors.
Pick of the bunch was an amazing triple save in the 28th minute. He dived to his left to thwart Tony Vidmar, to his right to push away a fizzing drive by Richard Langley and then blocked a close-range effort by Robert Earnshaw.
Earnshaw was again denied four minutes later when Langley's cross sent him clear of Steve Foster, but his angled shot was again clawed away by Williams.
As the first half drew to a close, John Robinson looked to have opened the scoring when he drilled in an attempt from just inside the box, but again Williams reacted instinctively to tip the ball over the bar.
But just when it seemed Williams had done all the hard work, Cardiff made the breakthrough in the 70th minute.
There appeared little danger when Gary Croft hit a looping volley from the right edge of the area, but Williams struggled to pick it up. The ball crashed off the upright and as Williams span around to locate the ball, it hit him on the arm and trickled into the net.
Williams' opposite number Marytn Margetson also made some vital interventions.
He denied Crewe striker Steve Jones in a one-on-one situation and pushed away a Chris McCready header. Even then Dean Ashton should have scored for the home side but bundled a Steve Jones cross wide with the goal at his mercy.
External reports
www.crewealex.com
Western Mail