We went up to Crewe via Derby as Midland mainline a lot cheaper than Virgin. We chatted to a few Colchester fans heading to Barnsley, there were several QPR heading to Sheffield United without much hope (a suprise 3-2 win for them in the end). Lots of Police at Stoke but no Millwall fans in sight.
Crewe has a fine range of pubs and we ended up in the British Lion and bumped into John H and Drew (and sat in front of them during the game). Gary B had been in the previous pub, a nice close game for him!
We got in the ground about 2.50 and the away stand was reasonably full and in good voice. Hammond was dropped to see Chippy back in. Lynch returned to left back, El-abd to right back, Gary Hart to right midfield with Carole on the bench.
I saw it as a must win game and we started in determined fashion.
The referee was dire and every time a Crewe player fell over he gave them a free kick, if we got fouled he waved play on. Despite this we took a crucial 1-0 lead when CKR converted a great ball in from Gatting which the keeper failed to clear.
Then it all went wrong.
The team sat back and decided 1 goal was enough. We failed to push forward, and we let a poor Crewe side back into the game. We got to half time at 1-0, but within a few minutes of the start of the second half we were 2-1 down.
Hammond replaced the ineffective Frutos, and not long after that Lynch slipped and the winger put the ball in the top corner from 35 yards. I thought it was a cross that drifted in.
Then Crewe surged forward again and again and we look clueless what to do. They won a corner, nice easy cross, a free header and that was that.
McGhee took off Hart who was having a great game and bought on Carole who didnt look fit. Eventually McPhee replaced Gatting but I don't think he touched the ball.
Mayo went close with a curling free kick and also a neat flick on header that nobody connected with. He also had a good shot blocked. The team looked beaten well before the end, we cant turn on the ball, we cant get to the ball first and the team look so unfit and unable to respond when we go behind.
McGhee has done all he can and should let somebody else have a go. He cant motivate the players and is unable to change tactics. From the 65th minute to about the 85th minute we couldn't attack with any menace, we looked beaten, almost lethargic, surely the lads should have been willing to spill blood for the Albion to get back in this game.
The fans also visibly wilted and for the first time many booed the players coming over at the final whistle. I left on the final whistle as I was gutted, but agreed with the booing.
Crewe fans summed the day up perfectly when they sang "1 nil and you ****ed it up"
Henderson - 6 no chance for either goal
Lynch - 7 defended well, unlucky to slip for the first goal
Hinshelwood - 7 good solid return
Butters - 6 easily beaten for pace several times
El-Abd - 5 Simon Jones had a field day with him in the second half
Hart - 7 battled hard, why he was subbed I have no idea
Carpenter - 5 poor poor game
Frutos - 5 poor game
Mayo - 8 my MOTM, battled, played with spirit and hart - other players should take note!
Gatting - 5 good set up for the goal, but after that didnt threaten
CKR - 6 right place for the goal and a couple of long range efforts
Hammond - 4 left midfield and left out the match
McPhee - 3 i dont recall him touching the ball
Carole - 4 well off his game
The highlight of the trip back was a very very drunk Irish Millwall fan who got on our train. He thought he was on the Birmingham train (wrong), slurred to nobody in particular endlessly repeated "Millwall boys we are here, eh you C**t for 25 minutes, then asked if the train went to Belfast, had a mobile phone conversation telling his mate he knew who had stolen the £50m and telling him several times he was a c**t and was he F***ing listening to him, checked if the next stop was Birmingham New Street, then wanted to know why we had stopped at Derby and not Euston! I wonder where he ended up! Lost I hope and a long way from home. What a sad fool that man was.
