Town’s U21s were beaten 3-2 by Crewe Alexandra at the Mornflake Stadium this afternoon despite leading twice through first half goals from Osman Foyo and Michael Lavin.
Three goals inside an exciting opening 30 minutes set the contest up nicely, but the Railwaymen fought back well to claim the spoils following a hat-trick from Connor Evans.
An early free-kick for the hosts was fired across goal by Matus Holicek, which was inches away from the outstretched Evans, who would have been certain to score if any contact had been made.
Town’s first opening came in the seventh minute and it fell to Harry Barbrook. The left-back slammed wide at the near post after Ryan Carr’s cutback had found him the box.
Blues keeper Charlie Woods, deputising for Woody Williamson who is away with Scotland U18s, palmed out a forceful long-range effort from Crewe defender Sean Lawton before bravely claiming a loose ball following Evans’s heavy touch.
On 11 minutes, Leon Ayinde broke away following some Foyo (pictured) trickery in midfield, but the January arrival from Cork City saw two shots in quick succession blocked.
Foyo would put the Blues in front on 13 minutes, slamming into the bottom corner from the edge of the area. Tom Booth got a hand on the effort but couldn’t turn it away from goal.
Town’s lead would last only four minutes, though, the Railwaymen equalising through Evans with a neat finish after Chris Long’s cross from the left.
The Blues looked for an immediate response and almost got it when Tom Taylor broke away. Both he and Carr saw close-range efforts kept out by Booth unconvincingly before eventually claiming the loose ball with Ayinde waiting to pounce.
On 26 minutes, Harry Barbrook’s strike was saved following smart interplay between Ayinde and Carr.
Town would retake the lead on the half-hour. Jack Manly was allowed time to break away down the right and pick out Lavin in the penalty area, with the full-back making no mistake in the finish which hit the underside of the crossbar on its way in.
Once again, the hosts threatened to level. Charlie Finney slammed the post after he had been found by the experienced Long, who was making his return from an ankle injury.
The end-to-end nature of the half continued as Holicek perhaps rushed an effort on Woods’s goal after Owen Lunt’s cross had bypassed multiple bodies.
Crewe were looking the more likely to grab the fourth goal and were inches away from finding it when Evans headed wide of the mark from Finney’s perfectly weighted cross.
At the other end, Ayinde went close to scoring what would have been a fabulous goal. After getting past at least three defenders en route from halfway to the penalty area, he saw a low strike kept out by Booth in what closed out an entertaining half of football.
Within three minutes of the restart, the Railwaymen were level for a second time. Finley Barbrook did well to block Evans’s initial effort from close range, but the Crewe frontman slammed into the net at the second time of asking.
Crewe were the team in the ascendency and the Blues had the crossbar to thank not once but twice on 54 minutes. Lunt struck an improvised volley on the spin expertly, but it looped off the bar into the path of Evans who headed it straight back where it came from.
Woods kept the scores level with two saves from Ty Webster and Zak Kempster-Down as the Railwaymen looked to go in front for the first time.
The Cheshire side were using the right to good effect and maintained most of the possession while winning a succession of corners. It appeared the Blues were playing on the counter-attack.
But Crewe would take the lead for the first time with 70 minutes on the clock. After a corner was punched clear by Woods, Lunt’s header to the far post was turned in by Evans to complete his hat-trick.
Lunt struck the woodwork for the second time in the game soon after, smashing a loose ball against the bar from the edge of the box.
Jack Parry, who had been on the pitch only a matter of minutes, dragged an effort wide as the hosts’ second half dominance continued.
It took the Blues until 86 minutes to register a clear-cut chance in the half, Finley Barbrook rising highest to meet a corner, but the header bounced safely for Booth to collect.
As the clock ticked over 90 minutes, Holicek saw a strike saved by Woods in the box before Parry had an effort of his own blocked as Crewe saw out the final few moments to mark defeat on the road for the young Blues.
Town had started brightly but failed to increase their advantage in the first half that they perhaps deserved. In the second , the Blues began to tire and Crewe had a plethora of substitutes in which they were able to freshen the game up.
In truth, the Railwaymen were the more likely to increase their lead in the closing stages and never looked back after the early leveller after half-time.
Next up for John McGreal’s young Blues is a trip to Swansea City on Friday.
U21s (4-2-3-1): Woods; H. Barbrook (Henry Curtis 63), Ayoola, F Barbrook, Lavin; Foyo, O’Neill; Ayinde, Carr, Manly; Taylor. Unused: Cullum.