If Steve Holland wanted a marker to know what it takes to be competing at the right end of League One then John Ward's Carlisle United side set it with style this afternoon. If you thought that they could have been suffering from a play-off hangover after narrowly losing to Leeds United last May then you couldn't have been more mistaken. The Cumbrians were just too good for the Alex this afternoon and have shown what is needed to be a contender in this division.
They ran out 4-2 winners in the end and the Crewe defence was constantly stretched by both the physical attributes of two-goal hero Danny Graham and Danny Carlton and the movement and pace of Scott Dobie and winger Simon Hackney.
Crewe made quite a dreadful start, finding themselves 2-0 down after 20 minutes and facing a long afternoon. Chris McCready did pull one back with a close range header and if Joel Grant had converted a really good chance just before the half mark, then it could have been different. He didn't and it wasn't.
Dobie lashed home a third before Hackney deservedly got his name on the score sheet to end Crewe's hopes of getting anything. Tom Pope did score a late consolation, heading home a Joel Grant cross with five minutes remaining but that is all it was.
Following the Carling Cup heroics against Barnsley on Tuesday evening, Steve Holland selected the same starting XI with Tom Pope partnering Anthony Elding upfront. Calvin Zola didn't quite shake off his ankle injury to regain his place. Youngster Chris Clements was named on the substitutes bench for the first time in a League match. Colin 'Junior' Daniel was also named among the substitutes as a replacement for either of Crewe's two side men, Joel Grant or Byron Moore.
Crewe started confidently in possession but it was Carlisle who had the ball in our box on a more regular basis. Steve Collis and Danny Woodards nearly got themselves in a muddle in the opening few minutes as the goalkeeper's clearance hit the back of his defender and Julien Baudet was called upon to apply a sufficient block on a shot from Danny Graham.
The home side forced a succession of early corners, the nearest to a goal saw Scott Dobie nearly provide the perfect flick on for Danny Charlton. The striker just missed the tempting chance at the far post as Crewe rode an early storm.
After just 11 minutes, Graham was denied the opener by a diving Collis after the Carlisle striker was so nearly played in by winger Simon Hackney. Graham didn't quite connect cleanly enough with the cross and Collis was able to pounce on the loose ball.
It didn't take the home side too long to take the lead. On 15 minutes, Billy Jones tried to win possession in the Carlisle half but as the ball broke loose, Dobie exploited the area vacated by the Alex left back. Chris McCready tried to provide cover but Dobie's inch perfect cross found Graham at the near post, who caught it sweet on the volley to powerfully deceive Collis. Crewe had been warned and were finding it difficult to get a foothold in the game.
Five minutes later, Crewe's afternoon was getting tougher and tougher. After Chris McCready had originally cleared a corner out to Marc Bridge Wilkinson, the second delivery arriving from Hackney saw Graham head home for his second goal of the game. It was tricky enough coming to one of League's One most consistent sides without conceding two goals in the opening 20 minutes.
Thankfully, Crewe's response was almost instant. Again the goal came following a routine corner. Moore played it back into the danger zone and after Elding had cleverly headed it across goal, Chris McCready stole in to nod home his first goal of the season from close range. It was something we desperately needed and it deflated some of the noise stemming from a vibrant home crowd.
A couple of minutes later, a promising run from Joel Grant presented the winger with a sight of goal but his shot was deflected up and over Ben Williams' cross bar. It was an open game to say the least!
From another corner, whipped in by Jones, McCready couldn't quite keep his header down after he rose highest inside a crowded penalty area. Crewe's growing confidence dimmed the noise inside Brunton Park, except for the travelling Alex fans, who were backed by their drummer. James Bailey had a shot deflected wide for yet another corner and from the resulting set piece; Carlton was well placed to head a Baudet cross off the Carlisle goal line. The effort may have just grazed the top of Ben Williams' cross bar.
Hackney was proving to be a fine outlet for Carlisle and another cross from the flying winger, found Danny Charlton but he dragged his final shot wastefully wide of the target. At the other end, Moore lashed a shot over the bar after some good approach play from Elding on the edge of the Carlisle penalty area.
As an entertaining first half drew to a close, Crewe were the side probably not wanting the half to end. After such a poor start, Crewe had settled into it and looked a threat going forward. Saying that Williams had not been called upon on too many occasions to deny his former team-mates.
The second half quickly saw Graham on the prowl for a hat-trick but an alert Collis rushed out to smother a chance at his feet. Hackney was again causing some problems with his electric pace, but Woodards stood up well to the threat posed by the winger.
Ten minutes into the second half, Graham came close to securing his hat-trick but his low drive flashed just wide of Collis' left hand post. The chance had arisen after Crewe had failed to clear their lines following a corner.
A couple of minutes later, a fine move from the Alex should have resulted in an equaliser from Joel Grant. The winger did everything right in accepting a super pass from Elding but he got his final shot all wrong with just Williams to beat. The former Aldershot youngster tried to guide it home but side-footed wide of the mark.
It proved to be a significant moment in the match because Carlisle went up the other end to restore their two-goal advantage just before the hour mark. There was a little bit of good fortune to it after Michael O'Connor's sliding tackle struck his team-mate Billy Jones and fell invitingly into the path of Dobie. He couldn't quite believe it and rhe ifled his shot high and above Collis for 3-1.
One of Carlisle's favourite sons Michael Bridges replaced the goal scorer Dobie soon after with the former Leeds and Hull striker given a tremendous ovation on his return to Brunton Park.
Grant again looked lively for the Railwaymen, after latching onto a pass from Pope but he couldn't wrap his leg around the shot and struck it a yard or so wide of the target. Moments later Williams grabbed a header from Baudet when under severe pressure from McCready and Moore.
Bridges nearly marked his return with a goal following a wonderful strike but it drifted away from Collis' post and in fairness, the Alex keeper probably had it covered.
With 20 minutes remaining Shaun Miller came on for Elding, who looks fitter with every appearance but still needs to be cautious after missing the majority of the pre-season build up.
Crewe had a chance to half the deficit on 75 minutes when a Billy Jones cross fizzed right across the Carlisle six-yard box. It only needed a touch but a flurry of Alex players missed it, much to the frustration of the Alex left back.
Again, it seemed to spur Carlisle back into life. Thirlwell sent the rapid Hackney away and he calmly slotted home the fourth past a helpless Collis. It was game set and match.
Miller forced Williams into a fine save with a outstanding snap shot from outside of the box. At the other end, Graham should have got his treble but made a mess of his finish. His curling effort from the edge of the penalty areas didn't trouble the Alex number one.
With five minutes remaining, Pope headed home his first of the season following an excellent delivery from Grant. It proved to be a mere consolation for the Alex striker on what was was a difficult afternoon up against the consistent Carlisle pairing of Danny Livesey and man-of-the-match Peter Murphy.
Miller had a late opportunity to grab himself a goal after Williams had let the ball escape his clutches, but the former Alex keeper recovered well to block his close range effort.
Crewe: Collis, Woodards, Jones, Baudet, McCready, Bailey, O'Connor, Moore(Daniel), Grant, Elding (Miller), Pope
Carlisle: Williams, Raven, Horwood, Bridge-Wilkinson, Livesey, Murphy, Graham, Carlton (Taylor), Thirlwell, Hackney, Dobie (Bridges)
Att: 6,919
