Crewe Alexandra 0-0 Ipswich Town - Half-Time Saturday, 30th Jan 2021 15:57 The Blues’ League One fixture against Crewe Alexandra at Gresty Road remains 0-0 at half-time. Town boss Paul Lambert made three changes from the team which lost 1-0 at home to Sunderland on Tuesday with Myles Kenlock, Alan Judge and Freddie Sears returning to the side. Kenlock was at left-back for Stephen Ward, who dropped to the bench, with Judge in the more advanced role in place of Jon Nolan, who was left out of the 18, while Sears was the lone central striker replacing Kayden Jackson, suspended for three games following his red card on Tuesday. James Norwood, who has been out with a recurrence of his hamstring, was among the subs, as was young defender Elkan Baggott, who signed his first professional contract earlier in the week. Crewe made five changes with Harry Pickering, Mikael Mandron, Luke Murphy, Billy Jones and Stephen Walker coming into the team for Rio Adebisi, Chris Porter, Tom Lowery, Travis Johnson, and Owen Dale. After the two teams had taken a knee in support of Black Lives Matter, the Blues started the brighter, winning two early corners which home keeper David Richards was forced to punch away, not entirely comfortably given the windy conditions. In the 11th minute a clever Edwards flicked sent Kenlock away down the left but the full-back’s cross was cut out and eventually the Blues won another corner which Oliver Lancashire inadvertently headed just past his own far post. Two minutes later, a Town move from deep in their own half ended with Luke Thomas cutting in from the right and hitting a low shot which Richards turned past his near post. On 14 Edwards hit a testing, dipping 25-yard strike which Richards batted away, the ball falling safely for the Railwaymen. Crewe had struggled to make any impact going forward but in the 18th minute they went close to going in front when they deftly passed their way into the box and Mandron seemed certain to score from the edge of the six-yard box until Kenlock slid in to make a superb challenge. The Railwaymen began to see most of the ball and in the 28th minute Charlie Kirk got to the byline on the left but twice saw low balls into the box cut out. Just after the half-hour mark, Kirk had the ball in the net after his initial effort had been saved by Tomas Holy, however, the wideman had strayed offside. Kenlock, who had begun his first league start since October promisingly both defensively and when going forward, was shown the game’s first yellow card in the 32nd minute for a late tackle on Murphy on the edge of the Alex area. Sears joined his team-mate in referee Ross Joyce’s book four minutes later for catching Ryan Wintle with a high boot. On 39 Omar Beckles had his name taken for a foul on Judge. Chances continued to be rare at both ends has half-time grew close. In the 43rd minute Sears hit a shot from distance which curled well away from goal. As the game moved into two additional minutes, Kirk struck a powerful effort which struck Woolfenden on the edge of the box. Moments later, Sears was flagged offside after seizing on a Beckles error with Norwood and Lankester, warming up and well-placed to make a decision, certain the linesman was wrong, and they appeared to have a case. That was the last incident of an evenly-balanced half of few chances. Town, again not quite as ponderous in possession as they have been at times this season, started positively and won a number of early corners. However, Crewe began to see more of the ball and worked the best opportunity of the period when Mandron was thwarted by Kenlock. Thomas’s low effort which Richards saved at his near post and Edwards’s long-range strike had been the closest Town had come to a goal. Crewe: Richards, Jones, Lancashire, Beckles, Pickering (c), Murphy, Wintle, Finney, Walker, Kirk, Mandron. Subs: Jaaskelainen, Powell, Lowery, Porter, Dale, Johnson, Evans. Ipswich: Holy, Chambers (c), Woolfenden, McGuinness, Kenlock, Dozzell, Downes, Judge, Thomas, Edwards, Sears. Subs: Cornell, Ward, Norwood, Lankester, Bishop, Drinan, Baggott. Referee: Ross Joyce (Cleveland).
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