3:43pm Wednesday 8th October 2008
By Toby Robinson
MONDAY night’s JPT trophy exit was another kick in the teeth.
With the Wembley dream already extinguished, Alex fans are left searching for some light at the end of the tunnel.
Now it’s all about avoiding the nightmare.
Old nemesis Chris Shuker once again proved the difference between the two sides, albeit this time with a super sized slice of fortune.
The winger’s delivery to go took a massive deflection off Michael O’Connor before flying past Steve Collis and into the back of the net on 86 minutes.
It was a real sickener for Steve Holland’s men who trudged down the tunnel with plenty to think about.
Just how did they let that first-half domination count for nothing?
On the back of a woeful performance against Northampton, this was improvement.
But failing to reappear in the second-half saw Tranmere go up a gear or two and seize the initiative.
Calvin Zola, Shaun Miller and Steve Schumacher were all handed starts as Crewe emerged with purpose at Prenton Park.
The big striker should have stuck one on his old club when Mark Carrington gave him the chance on eight minutes.
But Zola failed with his control and an eventual effort lacked enough to really test Danny Coyne.
Tranmere were under the cosh and needed Ryan Shotton to clear a looping header from Dennis Lawrence off the line while genuine penalty claims were waved away when Danny O’Donnell went down in the following melee.
Working well with Zola, in-form Tom Pope looked the business as he flicked a through-ball past a defender before rattling the post with some power.
So all good against a Tranmere side who created little until serving notice just before half-time.
Ian Moore made space down the right and found the perfect cross for Anthony Kay to head marginally over the bar.
Cue all change after the break as the hosts upped the tempo to their advantage.
Just seconds in and O’Donnell was forced to scramble away the danger sparked by Ben Chorley striking the woodwork.
Crewe wilted and Chris Greenacre was next to try his luck, turning O’Donnell before the end product flashed across goal.
Chorley glanced Taylor’s flag-kick wide with all the pressure now on the Alex to try and survive for spot-kicks.
Collis produced a blinder to deny Kay while Ian Moore wasted another opportunity to cement their revival.
Holland threw on Eugen Bopp and the German went close as did O’Connor but they were merely brief interludes in an all-too familiar show.
Tranmere scented the rabbit in headlights and even former trialist Bas Savage presented a danger before a final and somewhat cruel blow with four minutes left.
Crewe had weathered the storm with some grit but were left on the floor when sub Shuker’s speculative 20-yarder deflected past Collis for victory.
Tough times.
Crewe: Collis, Woodards, Jones, O’Donnell (Donaldson 89), Carrington (Bopp 76), O’Connor, Schumacher, Miller, Pope, Zola (Elding 83).
Subs not used: Tomlinson, Brayford.
Attendance – 2,626.
Guardian man-of-the-match: Michael O’Connor – showed desire to keep the fight going.
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