A disappointing Town fell to a 1-0 defeat at Crewe's Gresty Road, a second half Kenny Lunt freekick the difference between the sides. The Blues never got going in the first half however they improved after the break but couldn't turn their possession into goals.

Crewe started brightly and the highly-rated Dean Ashton twice broke away on the left, both occasions appearing to be well offside. Fortunately for Town he first shot wide, Wilnis getting back to dispossess him on the second occasion.

The Blues' first chance came in the seventh minute, an interchange of passes between a number of players led to Santos playing through Marcus Bent. The striker couldn't get in a shot and a defender half-cleared, the ball running to Darren Bent who hit a fine effort which Clayton Ince saved well.

Ashton hit a freekick into the Town wall on 11, before Reuser hit a 30 yarder over the bar with Ince off his line.

On 14 there was controversy as Georges Santos cleanly, and very evidently, won the ball from Dave Brammer in the centre of the Town half, only for referee Roy Pearson to decide that not only was it a foul but it was worth a yellow card. Several Town players remonstrated, along with the Blues' crowd, at such an obviously wrong decision.

Kelvin Davis did well to claim at David Wright's feet in the 18th minute after the full-back had made a fine run forward into the Town area on to a pass.

The linesman in front of the Town fans, who had already irked the Blues' support after his early decisions, missed several more offsides before finally flagging Ashton when he was not only clearly onside but had received the ball from a Town player's header. Unsurprisingly he received a fair amount of attention from the travelling Town army.

Referee Pearson tried to outdo him shortly afterwards when he gave a clear throw-in to Crewe as a corner.

The Railwaymen were certainly having the best of the chances and Ashton and Jones both hit shots wide. Ashton forced Davis to make the save of the afternoon on 29 with an overhead kick from the edge of the area, the keeper diving to his right to tip the ball wide of his post.

On 32 Magilton curled a freekick into the wall after a foul on Marcus Bent and from the corner Bent only just failed to get his head to the ball. After being cleared the ball ran to Makin who crossed back in to Darren Bent who also failed to get in a header.

Ten minutes before the break Bent junior ran onto a Marcus Bent ball but failed to get it under control with defenders around him and went to ground calling for a penalty, which would have been a very harsh decision.

Kenny Lunt looked to be in trouble in the 41st minute when he went in late on keeper Davis well after the ball had gone. Despite a long talking to by the ref he escaped a card.

It had not been a good half for Town, their lack of width had left little choice but to play the ball long for the two Bents to chase. With Crewe defending along the edge of their penalty area it was difficult for them to use their pace. Only when the Bents went wide was there any danger to the home defence.

A referee who seemed determined to penalise all tackling was certainly not helping matters and Santos received what appeared to be a final warning just before the break for a challenge where he had appeared to hardly touch the falling player.

Joe Royle decided to take off the ineffectual Martijn Reuser and the in-danger Georges Santos, Pablo Couñago and Jermaine Wright coming on and Town switching to 4-3-3.

Immediately the Blues looked a better side but not before the impressive Ben Rix had almost got on to a low cross from the left, Davis doing well to steal the ball away from his foot at the last.

Wilnis and Miller both came close to scoring in the 51st minute, the Dutchman running on to a Couñago ball wide and hitting a shot which was deflected into the air. Tommy Miller watched the ball come down and headed goalwards, only to see his effort cleared off the line.

Central defender Richard Naylor went close to scoring shortly afterwards when he headed a deep right-wing Magilton corner off the bar with the keeper looking well beaten.

A minute later Couñago came close in Town's best spell so far. Marcus Bent had run on to a ball over the top and played in the Spaniard who went past the keeper but once more a defender on the line prevented a goal.

Referee Pearson was once more on the end of a barrage of abuse from the Town support as Richard Naylor went into the book for another challenge where he had quite clearly won the ball. From the freekick Ashton headed wide.

On the hour Ashton went into the ref's book after kicking out at Diallo after the pair had been involved in a bout of tugging after a corner.

There was a lucky escape for the Blues on 64 when Dave Brammer had a clear shot at an open goal after Davis failed to get through a crowded box to punch a corner. The ball fell to the midfielder but he hit his shot wide, Diallo clearing.

The Guinean became the latest player to go into the book in the 67th minute for a foul on Rix as he made a strong run at the Town defence. Kenny Lunt took the 25-yard freekick and watched his shot beat Davis and cross the line off the bar.

Town spent most of the rest of the game pushing for a goal but without ever really looking convincing. Too many times the ball would fly across the box behind attackers, or players exchanged too many passes on the edge of the area when a shot might have been more profitable.

Darren Bent crossed for Marcus Bent who volleyed powerfully from close in only to see keeper Clayton Ince save superbly. The younger Bent then headed wide before Jermaine Wright hit a shot straight at Ince.

On 90 Couñago played in Darren Bent on the right but Ince was out quickly to deny him. In injury time Magilton mis-hit a shot to Ince before Couñago made a positive run but hit his shot wide of Ince's post.

A better second half performance, despite conceding the goal, after a particularly poor first. The Blues had most of the chances in a second period but once again the tendency to want to pass the ball into the net was all too often evident. And as against Kidderminster the opposition defended well and their keeper, Clayton Ince, was in fine form, the PA informing us that he was the man of the match.

A pernickety and incompetent referee hardly helped either side play football with any tackle which left a player on the floor appearing to be a yellow card offence.

It's probably too early to get unduly worried about the season, but a decent result, and some goals, against Coventry next week will reduce fans' concerns after a less than electric start to the season.

Photo: Action Images

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