Town came through a tricky game against bogey side Crewe in a game where again they were rarely at their best. The Blues got off to the perfect start when Martijn Reuser scored after five minutes, but Crewe swiftly hit back through Rob Hulse. Alun Armstrong put Town in front and in the second half Reuser put Town 3-1 up before Dave Bramer immediately hit back.
Town lined up with all full internationals who played at the weekend missing. Holland, Magilton, Hreidarsson and George weren’t even on the bench, thereby ending Holland’s appearance record of 237 games. Not a bad run. In for first starts came Sixto Peralta and Tommy Miller in the centre of midfield. Thomas Gaardsoe was a non-playing sub.
Town scored with the first real chance of the game in the fifth minute. Reuser, playing on the left, cut inside a defender, looked up and thwacked the ball goalwards. Ademole Bankole in the Crewe goal didn’t even see it.
From there it should have been a breeze, but Dario Gradi’s men got back into it just four minutes later. Matteo Sereni had saved from Rodney Jack after Stewart had given the ball away in midfield. The resulting corner saw Hulse rise above his markers and head home. The promising youngster had already announced his presence with a solid challenge on Sereni. Hulse, rated very highly, was a thorn in the side of Town’s defence all evening, with McGreal finding things tricky at times.
On 12 Reuser hit a freekick over as Town tried to regain the lead. Hulse had a good chance to put the home side ahead when he was found unmarked on the left of the area. His header ended up on top of the net.
Sixto Peralta showed a bit of skill on 14 when he almost found Stewart with a nifty chip over the defence. Walton just got back to clear the ball.
Other new boy Tommy Miller went round Bankole in the 20th minute after being found by Marcus Stewart. He was too wide to take a shot, but cut the ball back to Jermaine Wright whose shot was deflected away. Wright was wearing a rather natty pair of silver boots, but these didn’t seem to do the trick.
Miller was in the referee’s book two minutes later, rather harshly according to the Town support. His tackle on Rodney Jack in the centre circle was a fairly innocuous challenge, but referee Hall seemed determined in the first half to give as many decisions to Crewe as possible.
In the 28th minute Town appealed for a penalty as Miller was pulled back on the edge of the are. It looked to Town eyes as if it was inside the box, but despite a yellow card referee Hall saw it only as a freekick. Venus took the kick and it deflected wide.
Marcus Stewart came as close as he was to come in the first half when Bankole tipped his header over from a Reuser cross.
In the 32nd minute McGreal was booked as he went up with Hulse. Referee Hall was continuing to frustrate the travelling support.
Town went 2-1 up in the 35th minute. Reuser chased a ball that had been played over the top as Walton sought to leave the ball for his keeper. Unfortunately for Crewe the keeper wasn’t as close as he thought and Reuser headed the ball inside to Armstrong who hit the ball first time into the net. It was sharp work from both Reuser and Armstrong at a time when Crewe were playing well.
Two minutes later the Town fans were cheering again as referee Hall gave the Blues a rare freekick.
With two minutes left of the half Stewart hit a shot wide after good work from Armstrong and that was that for the half.
Naylor replaced Armstrong at half-time while Jermaine Wright decided that his silver boots weren’t up to it and switched back to a more regular pair of footware.
In the 50th minute Miller went just wide from a Sixto Peralta pass after good work from Stewart. Three minutes later Reuser hit a shot from 20 yards which was saved after Miller had laid it off well. From the resulting corner Venus hammered a shot just over the bar.
At the other end Foster hit a shot wide when he should have done better. A cross had come in from the left and Clapham had hesitated as the Crewe defender came in.
After 58 Naylor was just caught offside as he and Stewart tried to pull off a one-two inside the Crewe box. On 65 Peralta almost got onto a return ball as he and Naylor exchanged passes in the Crewe area.
A minute later Naylor was almost on the end of a Jamie Clapham cross after Town had played a session of keep-ball for what seemed an age.
The 67th minute saw the home fans on their feet as local hero Dean Ashton was introduced for Charnock. Ashton has been suffering injury and was given a fine welcome by his supporters.
Three minutes later Town brought on Fabian Wilnis for Tommy Miller. Wilnis went to right-back, Makin to left and Clapham to midfield. Miller had been largely quiet, but had one or two decent moments.
On 71 Town went 3-1 up. Reuser ran on to an excellent Stewart ball into space inside the penalty area and finished with his usual panache. It was a well-taken goal from probably Town’s best player on the night. Stewart also had a good game and deserved to have got a goal himself.
Within a minute Crewe had got a goal back. Another one of those lapses at the back which have cost Town so many times this season saw former Port Vale man Dave Brammer hit the ball in off Sereni’s left post.
Jamie Clapham hit a shot over in the 75th minute while Rodney Jack had a shot saved by Sereni a minute later.
On 82 Reuser almost had his hat-trick when Clapham played him in down the left. He hit his shot well but at Bankole and the danger was cleared for a corner.
Dean Ashton should have done better in the 85th minute when he was found unmarked at the far post. He hit his shot first time and into the sidenetting when a goal was probably easier.
Jermaine Wright shot straight at the keeper towards the end from 23 yards but Bankole was equal to it.
Ashton kept going for Crewe and was prevented by first McGreal and then Sereni, but in the end Town scraped through.
Not a vintage performance, but three well-taken goals and some promising displays. Peralta particularly did well, but he looks as if he might need a few more games before settling into English football. Some very skilful touches and a number of clever balls.
At the back though there are still concerns. Too many goals are going in and few are down to keeper Sereni. Things need tightening up and mistakes have to be stopped.
Sereni, Makin, Clapham, McGreal, Venus, Peralta, Miller (Wilnis 70), Reuser, Wright, Stewart, Armstrong (Naylor 45).