Match report: Crewe 1 Cheltenham 2

CREWE found themselves tossed back into the relegation scrap after a demoralising defeat on an afternoon of nerves at the Alexandra Stadium, Gwyn Griffiths reports from the Alexandra Stadium

Despite getting the fillip of an early Gylfi Sigurdsson goal, they stuttered through to a disastrous second-half which saw Cheltenham hit back with a penalty and a late winner from former Stoke striker Paul Connor to keep their relegation in abeyance for another week at least.

Gudjon Thordarson named an unchanged side for the potentially decisive game. And the Alex was handed the perfect start when fellow countryman  Sigurdsson swooped with a clinical finish after just 90 seconds.

The Icelander started and finished the move by releasing Clayton Donaldson on the Cheltenham left and then hurrying on to make the decisive impact in the box.

Helpfully, Donaldson’s cross was dealt with by some truly weak defending with Shane Duff failing to clear his lines. And while Calvin Zola was also sniffing for the finish, it was Sigurdsson who moved in and pulled a volleyed finish into the top corner with some style.

Frankie Artus responded for Cheltenham with a thundering 30-yard drive, but John Ruddy dealt with the effort comfortably.

Danny Woodards also tried his luck from distance with a fierce rising strike on the quarter hour. But Town keeper Scott Brown did well to arch backwards and tip the ball over.

Zola brought gasps and groans in equal measure when he flicked the ball cleverly over Drissa Diallo out on the left, but then tried an outlandish effort on goal with his 35-yard volley clearing the cross bar by some way.

Crewe were doing all the threatening and John Brayford cut in and blasted past the top corner.

Artus’s deflected effort looped over the bar as the visitors failed to cut the mustard despite stringing together some decent possession.

Donaldson may have done better when he edged past Diallo on the left of the box, but then only succeeded in dragging a tame effort at Brown.

Brayford showed his shooting prowess again as he drove over. But when he dragged a poor effort well wide minutes later he was surely well placed to make more of an impact by delivering a ball into the box.

The half ended with Crewe a goal to the good, but while their lead remained slender there was always concern, particularly as Bristol City loan man Artus was seeing plenty of the ball in advanced positions.

Donaldson was inches away from steering home Byron Moore’s cross as the second-half re-started.

Cheltenham appealed in vain for a penalty when a lob across the box was shepherded clear by Billy Jones and booted up to Donaldson, leaving visiting boss Martin Allen ranting and raving to no effect.

But his side were beginning to make a fist of things and David Hutton cut into the box and drove a yard past the far post.

And when Hutton darted down the left of the box, Marlon Broomes’s rash challenge brought the Tottenham loan youngster crashing to the turf.

John Finnigan, who had just come on, sent the inevitable spot kick down the middle of the goal past Ruddy for Cheltenham’s 57th-minute equaliser.

Moore escaped a handball appeal minutes later as Crewe began to wobble.

Sigurdsson’s well-hit free kick almost got the Alex up and running again on the hour mark, but the ball whizzed inches past Brown’s near post.

When Julien Baudet flicked on a Donaldson long throw, Dennis Lawrence diverted the ball over at full stretch.

Moore’s break ended with Jones firing a 20-yard drive at Brown as Thordarson made two changes with Shaun Miller and Scott McManus on for the final 20 minutes in place of Broomes and Jones.

Brown beat out a Sigurdsson effort from right of the box as Crewe sought inspiration.

But the keeper knew little about it when he managed to get an arm on Moore’s snap shot.

Baudet thought he’d restored Crewe’s advantage in 78th minute when Sigurdsson’s shot from a corner flew across to the back post and he stabbed in. But the Frenchman was adjudged offside as the tension mounted.

Brown got behind another Sirgurdsson effort as Crewe bombarded the visiting box.

But they were caught square when substitute Leon Constantine broke down the left. Th former Port Vale man burst clear and when his cross was deflected into the path of Connor, the striker headed home from close range to leave the Alex red faced with six minutes left.

Luke Murphy replaced the erratic Moore and lofted an effort over in a desperate closing spell, which included five minutes of added time.

Constantine broke again, but opted to count the clock down. Hutton forced Ruddy into a save from a tight angle as Cheltenham finished the game hogging the ball.

Crewe 1 (Sigurdsson 2)

Cheltenham 2 (Finnigan (pen) 57, Connor 84)

TEAMS

Crewe: Ruddy, Brayford, Broomes (Miller, 70), Baudet, Lawrence, Jones (McManus, 70), Sigurdsson, Woodards, Moore (Murphy, 85), Zola, Donaldson.

Subs: Grant, Collis

 

Cheltenham: Brown, Diallo (Constantine, 84), Berchiche (Antonio, 64), Townsend, Duff, Gallinagh, Bird (Finnigan, 54), Hutton, Ridley, Artus, Connor.

Subs: Lindegaard, Watkins.

 

Referee: Mr A Haines

 

Attendance: 4,542