The Lads took on bottom side Crewe at the SoL, and claimed all three points with two late goals in a pretty awful game. Boss Neil obviously learned little from Tuesday, and the win came when we switched from hoofball to football. It's a shame we had to suffer 75 minutes of rubbish before the fifteen minutes of actual football... but a win's a win, apparently, and it came about due to substitutions.
Memories of a comfortable win at Gresty Road last Autumn, and a smashing night out either side of it, had me naturally enough dreaming of a repeat. Unfortunately, memories of Tuesday night had me wondering if we'd learned from our mistakes or not. It was obvious (thankfully, to the manager as well) that we lacked energy in the first half, and while that can't 100% be attributed to the absence of Pritch, O'9's appearance brought it back and was the foundation of our comeback win. It was a poor show to watch, but I'd take that level of entertainment every remaining game this season as long as the result was repeated every time.
Would Luke be in from the off? Would we start with the defence we finished with? Against the bottom side, that would have seemed the logical way to go. Obviously, not to Neil.
Patterson
Gooch Winchester Wright Cirkin
Evans Matete
O'Nien
Clarke Defoe
Stewart
..and a bench of Hoffmann, Embleton, Roberts, Neil, Dajaku, Doyle, and Hume
Immediate thoughts, Gooch at wingback, or right back. Evans as sitting midfield and/or central defence when necessary. Luke anywhere. Interesting, to say the least, with only two "real" defenders on the field. Not the starting eleven I'd have gone for.
There were a lot of yellow shirts (vintage 1998 and current day) on show, as the Lads wore our away kit to show support of the people of Ukraine. Crewe kicked off as we defended the North end, very obviously three at the back. Gooch wide right and Defoe centre forward with Stewart sort of drifting left initially.
It took a while, but we unfortunately settled into a pattern that was more Morecambe first half than Morecambe second half and as a result the first half was turgid with a few bright spots, but nothing to really trouble the visiting keeper. On 13, Gooch sized up a pass over to Clarke, but contrived to hit it low inside the fullback for a goal kick. Weird. We did look to have set Defoe away, and he appeared to be fouled as he took it on his chest in the D, but nothing was given.
A lot of challenges saw a Crewe boot left in late, which the ref didn't seem bothered about, and around the quarter hour he had a mad few minutes in which he missed several fouls that looked pretty obvious from my seat - particularly an elbow on Luke. Clarke was on dead-ball duty, with our first corner, from the right, on 17. We got in a header, but it was comfortable for the keeper and we failed to keep the pressure on by misplacing several simple passes all over the field. We needed some good defending by Wright, albeit after his error had let Crewe attack in the first place.
The game was dragging on and crying - nay, screaming - for a proper midfield, an Embo or Neil, as we were basically playing 3-2-0-5. Evans slowed the game down anyway, as it's his natural game, but it just emphasised the gaping hole in the middle. Stewart got a header to a right wing corner, but it was comfortable for the keeper and was our only meaningful effort of the half.
Two added minutes came and went without raising the interest or the pace.
Incredibly, there were no changes for the second half when we could all see what needed changing and where. Naturally enough, the game didn't change despite Clarke getting into the box within seconds and seeing Stewart fall when going for his cross. We screamed for a penalty, which it probably wasn't, but it gave us false hopes for a raised tempo.
That didn't happen and the game trundled on with Crewe falling over and wasting time and us lumping it at Stewart. Defoe did well to win it out on the left, but could only poke the shot tamely wide when a cutback was the better option.
Crewe sensed that we weren't doing anything different so they pushed on a bit, winning a corner that we dealt with and then made changes. On came Neil and Dajaku for Gooch (booked in the first half, so no surprise) and O'9. Sensible swaps, at last giving us a central midfielder likely to make a decent pass.
..and he did. Not long after this, Roberts replaced Defoe, who'd never looked likely to do anything - mainly due to not having had a decent pass in over an hour of "football". The ref began punishment for time wasting, then it was Matete's turn to shoot from a narrow angle rather than roll it back.
Patto did well to save a whack from the edge of the box, then Crewe had a decent chance but slashed it hopelessly wide of the near post. Our manager sent on a note for Evans as we lined up to take a free kick. Clarke had a low shot saved comfortably, but at least we were having a go.
Then Neil (D) started to play. An indirect free was awarded in the box for the keeper wasting time, but the shot was blocked. However, Neil then found Stewart with a great pass, took the return, and placed it perfectly past the keeper. A goal that belonged in a much better game, I think.
Relief. Relief.
Roberts danced into the box but drove his shot over the bar, then on 88 Patto took a cross well and set us away. Clarke and Roberts swapped passes and the latter plopped it from inside left across the keeper on 88. Another cracking goal.
Six added minutes were played in which Clarke was booked for a dive. Three points. I know I said I'd take rubbish games and good results, but that was bloody hard work.
Man of the Match? As Tuesday, it's a sub. O'9's energy made the difference then, Dan Neil's passing made it today.
