With home performances and results like this one, this is going to be a long hard season for the Railwaymen. We don't look good enough to survive at this level, and it is evident that the players are not playing with too much confidence, especially when we went behind in the 55 minutes. Four from bottom Orient stretched their lead over us to seven points with two fine second half goals from Tamika Mkandawire and Adam Boyd to leave Crewe rooted in the bottom four and without a League win since 13th September.
Crewe Alexandra never really created enough clear cut chances to deserve anything from the game with Green having a first half shot saved by Glenn Morris and Joel Grant wasting a late chance when he couldn't keep his shot down from within the Leyton Orient six-yard box. We had to wait until the 90th minute for our best chance of the afternoon to arrive with substitute Shaun Miller seeing his point blank header saved by Morris.
Loan signing Stuart Green was handed his full Alex debut after completing his move from Blackpool yesterday morning. The former Newcastle United youngster started on the right hand side of the Crewe midfield as Steve Holland reverted back to a more conventional 4-4-2 system. Wide men Byron Moore and Shaun Miller were left to accommodate Green and another striker in Tom Pope, who partnered the in-form Clayton Donaldson.
There was another chance occurring at the back with Dennis Lawrence returning to the centre of the defence. Daniel O'Donnell was the unfortunate one to drop out after helping the club to a clean sheet against Ebbsfleet United in last weekend's FA Cup tie.
The ball was certainly in the Leyton Orient half more than it was in ours in the opening 15 minutes, but goalmouth incidents were few and far between. One bright moment was Michael O'Connor's somehow managing to keep in a long cross from Billy Jones. The Irishman flicked a back header from the by-line before running and chasing to keep the ball drifting out of play. His commitment drew warm applause from the home supporters.
Leyton Orient's midfielder Sean Thornton didn't connect right with an ambitious volley before the visitors did have the ball in the end on 17 minutes. The robust Sam Parkin headed a Thornton corner past Steve Collis. The vastly experienced striker, who had a long running battle with the lanky Dennis Lawrence all afternoon was adjudged to have pushed his marker inside a crowded penalty area.
Brian Saah was booked for a trip on Grant and injured himself in the process and had to be replaced by Alton Thelwell. The Alex winger was also cautioned for throwing the ball away.
The visitors began to get a grip on proceedings and Lawrence did superbly to clear the ball away from Parkin after the speedy Jason Demetriou had tricked his way past John Brayford. Parkin also went close from another corner but his flick header just cleared the crossbar.
Crewe began to hit too many long balls and Pope and Donaldson were finding it increasingly difficult to get a hold of possession, especially in wet conditions. One bit of quality from a Michael O'Connor free-kick nearly pick out an advanced Julien Baudet.
It began a scrappy affair, especially from a Crewe point of view but the half did end with some action. A flowing move from the Alex involving James Bailey, and Grant allowed Green to get in behind for the first time, but the Blackpool midfielder didn't quite catch it right and Morris made a comfortable save.
Orient also had to wait until the dying minutes of the first half to create their best chance with Collis producing a stunning one handed save to deny Boyd.
With four minutes of the first half remaining, Pope shot in the side netting following a decent cross from John Brayford.
The second half started with Grant firing wide after a Green shot fell invitingly into his path before the Londoners grabbed the decisive first goal on 55 minutes. It was far too easy, with Mkandawire granted too much space on the edge of the Crewe penalty area and his low drive flashed past Collis. With so much pressure on this game, the first goal was always going to be crucial and unfortunately a lapse of concentration had given the away side something precious to protect.
Two minutes later and Crewe thought they had a case for a foul on the edge of the Orient penalty area after Chambers and O'Connor collided chasing a Donaldson through ball. O'Connor appealed for a foul and was booked for his protest. That is five now for the Northern Ireland International and he will have to serve a one match suspension.
Crewe tried to hit back with Donaldson firing a shot into the legs of an Orient defender after Pope had made a nuisance of himself after being found by Grant.
Parkin should have settled the game on 70 minutes after we fell asleep at a corner. He was given the freedom of South Cheshire but uncharacteristically he headed into the floor and wide of Collis' goal.
It took them just four minutes later though to kill the game off. Boyd unleashed an unstoppable 25-yarder past Collis to leave Crewe staring defeat in the face. It was a wonderful strike from the Orient striker.
Steve Holland elected to introduce the fresh legs of Elding and Miller for his front two but it truth it was Orient pressing for a third goal. The creative Thornton curled a free-kick just wide and fired another shot into the side netting as the crowd's frustration began to increase.
Crewe did produce a late surge but it was too little too late. Grant should really have scored to set up a grandstand finish after an O'Connor cross fell to him inside the 6-yard box, but the winger could only lift it over the grounded Morris and over his crossbar.
Grant also shot over from 20 yards out after being supplied by Miller. The winger was finishing the game strongly, and perhaps if one of those chances had gone in, we could have snatched a point because Miller had a last minute header saved by Morris. It about summed up a such disappointing afternoon.
