Macclesfield 4 Crewe Alex 1 (From Crewe Guardian)

Macclesfield 4 Crewe Alex 1

12:10pm Thursday 31st December 2009

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CREWE’S disappointing 2009 ended in typical fashion at Moss Rose on Monday.

Three first-half goals ensured the Alex were on their way to an embarrassing defeat against struggling Macclesfield.

Left on the bench, Calvin Zola came on to supply brief hope as they dominated the second-half with chances galore.

However sub Ricky Sappleton supplied another kick in the teeth with a fourth in stoppage time.

Boss Dario Gradi was philosophical about a turbulent Cheshire derby.

“All the supporters who made the trip will be disappointed because a lot of them won’t have seen many of the recent away games when we have done well,” he said.

“I thought the team played well but what surprised me were all their goals going in so quickly.

“It probably shouldn’t, we still look capable of that.

“Danny O’Donnell has been playing well but then he’s been poor for two of the goals and I think he understands now what I mean and what is required.

“But he has been playing well and he’s got to try and get back to playing well.

“We know goals are difficult at the other end, we’re not clinical and we don’t have great finishers.

“I don’t think the players could have done a lot more than they did.

“They gave terrific effort and played some super football at times but what happened in both boxes determined the result.

“I’m happy with my players and wouldn’t swap them for their players and that is not belittling them because they were a threat throughout the game.

“They played 3-5-2 but we played around it fine and created plenty of opportunities “It wouldn’t have been a surprise if won 6-3 so not a surprise to lose 4-1 either.”

Sweeping changes to the side that did so well against Rochdale looked pivotal.

Zola, Joel Grant, Simon Walton and Mat Mitchel-King were all out for Bryon Moore, Danny Shelley, Steve Schumacher and Harry Worley.

And Crewe looked unsettled as the hosts effectively won the game with two goals inside the first 14 minutes.

Poor defending allowed Izak Reid’s cross to fall at the feet of Ben Wright who rolled the ball into the net on four minutes.

Things got worse when Ross Draper put a simple square ball through for Paul Bolland to bury under Steve Phillips.

Alex responded as Schumacher’s 25-yard drive was turned around the post by Jon Brain while Bolland cleared an O’Donnell header off the line.

But it all looked over when former Crewe winger Colin Daniel smashed a loose clearance straight into the top corner for 3-0 on 30 minutes.

Despite plenty of effort, it took Zola’s introduction to make an impact as the big man punished poor handling from Brain on 64 minutes.

Several goalmouth scrambles could have gone Crewe’s way while Brain redeemed himself with a fine stop to deny Zola his second.

Further chances could have made it interesting before Sappleton rubbed salt into the wounds.

“Perhaps being left out disappointed Calvin and he went on and made a difference,” continued Gradi.

“I’m not complaining.

“If you said when I took over that this is where we would be by now, I’d settle for that.”

Crewe travel to Hereford on Saturday.

CREWE: Phillips, Brayford, Tootle, O'Donnell, Worley, Murphy, Westwood, Schumacher, Shelley (Zola 62), Moore (Miller 77), Donaldson.

Subs not used: Legzdins, Billy Jones, Ada, Mitchel-King, Walton.

Attendance: 3,449.

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