Crewe Alexandra rolled into London this afternoon and inflicted Barnet's first home defeat of the season after they had previously obtained five wins and five draws during their start to the season. It takes Crewe's unbeaten run to five games and has up nicely moving up the table with the busy Christmas period just around the corner. Another two or three wins in December would have us as serious contenders for a play-off place.
Crewe deservedly took the lead on 25 minutes when Joel Grant fired home his 6th goal of the season after being put through superbly by Ashley Westwood. Although, Crewe were to be penned back before the break thanks to a smart finish from Dean Sinclair, the Railwaymen acquired all three points when Clayton Donaldson's lightening pace saw him collect a flick on from Zola to flick home his fourth goal in five games. It was no more than the Railwaymen deserved on what was turning out to be a chilly afternoon in the capital.
Dario Gradi enjoyed the luxury of naming an unchanged side for the fourth game in succession. As expected a fit-again Harry Worley was again named on the substitutes bench after overcoming his ankle problem and there were first appearances on the bench for youngsters Alex Titchiner and Kelvin Mellor. Captain Billy Jones didn't travel to London.
After a mini downpour prior to kick-off, the match kicked off in decent December sunshine. Crewe Alexandra made a positive start to the match with full-back Matt Tootle forcing an early corner with a forceful run into the Barnet penalty area. Another one soon followed as captain Mat Mitchel-King tried to get his head onto Ashley Westwood's delivery.
The first real effort on goal wasn't short in coming either with Ashley Westwood feeding Luke Murphy on the right wing. The young midfielder drilled his low shot just wide of Jake Coke's left hand post.
From yet another early corner earned by the athletic Tootle, Murphy hit a shot from the edge of the box into the floor and wide of the target.
Barnet's first effort on goal came on 9 minutes through tricky winger Albert Jarrett. Crewe Alexandra goalkeeper Steve Phillips watched the cross shot well enough to make the save at a stretch.
Crewe did have a concern over the fitness of Clayton Donaldson when he was floored after a knock on his shin but after some brief treatment he was fine to continue in what had been a promising start from the Railwaymen.
On 13 minutes, Tootle was booked for a simulation after going over a challenge from Barnet goalkeeper Jake Cole. It did look as though the raiding Crewe full-back had been caught by the onrushing Cole but the referee felt he hadn't been touched and cautioned the Alex youngster instead. It was certainly a controversial decision because Tootle had skipped past the goalkeeper and had an empty goal to aim at.
Four minutes later and with Crewe dominating the proceedings as an attacking force, Donaldson should have given the visitors the lead after the towering Zola had flicked on a goalkick from Phillips. Donaldson was through and one-on-one with Cole but on this occasion hit the goalkeeper instead of the back of the net.
Crewe thoroughly deserved to open the scoring on 25 minutes with Westwood the provider with another splendid pass. The young midfielder struck it perfectly over the head of the Barnet right-back Callum Butcher and Grant raced in behind him to dispatch his 6th goal of the season. It was no more than the Alex deserved for their start to the game.
With Zola holding up play intelligently and the pace of Grant and Donaldson causing Barnet's back four all sorts of problems, Crewe always looked the more likely side to score in the first period. Both Murphy and Westwood were busy in midfield and were finding the front two on a regular basis. Barnet were struggling to get a foothold on the game and other than Jarrett's early effort, Phillips was hardly tested.
Winger Jarrett was comfortably the home side's main threat and he had another low shot deflected behind for a corner by the outstretched leg of Brayford. The corner count was going up by the minute but it was defences on top when those high balls went into the penalty area. On this occasion though the clearance went straight to Jarrett who made Crewe pay with five minutes of the first half remaining.
Jarrett was the creator again and after going past Tootle his low cross was turned home by Dean Sinclair. It was one of the rare occasions where Barnet had applied some sustained pressure on the Crewe defence.
The Alex tried to hit back almost instantly, with Barnet rather lucky to escape an almighty scramble in front of Jake Cole following another corner from Westwood. Both Mitchel-King and then Donaldson tried to force it over the line but the Barnet defence stood firm and Daniel Leach was able to complete the clearance.
Barnet started the second half on the front foot with their goalscorer Sinclair providing a good early cross for Craig McAllister to head down into the hands of Steve Phillips. Almost immediately at the other the lively Donaldson had a shot blocked by the covering Leach as he made his way into the box. Westwood also had a shot just wide of the target from 25 yards out.
A loose ball from Crewe close to their own goal on 53 minutes should have seen the home side take the lead. Walton's lapse of concentration saw John O'Flynn race onto his loosely hit back pass but in a one-on-one situation with Steve Phillips he could only stir his shot a yard of the target. He should have scored.
Barnet then made a substitution with goalscorer Sinclair making way for Yannick Bolasie. A couple of minutes later, a better touch from Zola could have seen him through on goal but he couldn't collect it and the chance was lost. Westwood became the second Alex player to be booked for a couple of fouls one after the other.
Just before the hour mark, a wonderful long pass from Walton released the skilful Grant but after getting the ball from his under his feet and a couple of step-overs inside the Barnet penalty area, he shot waywardly. The winger had done everything right until the final execution and it proved a let-out for the home side.
Barnet had another chance to take the lead on 62 minutes when O'Flynn had a clear view of the Crewe goal at the far post, but amazingly Ashley Westwood did remarkably well to produce a goal saving block.
It was to be Westwood's last telling contribution of the afternoon after he received a hefty knock in the centre of the pitch.
Westwood was limping around the pitch when Donaldson raced through onto another flick on from Zola to tidily flick home his fourth goal of the season. It was a wonderful turn of pace, run and then finish from the Alex marksman.
Crewe replaced Westwood with Danny Shelley with the impressive Murphy moving into central midfield.
Going behind again, the home side stepped up things again but O'Donnell was well placed to apply enough onto a shot from the vastly experienced Micah Hyde to turn it onto the top of the Crewe crossbar and over for a corner. Moments later, a cross from sub Bolasie was wastefully turned over the top by McAllister.
Crewe were having to deal with some real pressure, whilst also providing something in attack when we had possession. On one such occasion, Shelley fed Zola but he couldn't keep his shot down from a good position.
With time running out for the home side, Barnet boss Ian Hendon made two substitutions with the veteran front man Paul Furlong and Jake Hyde coming on for O'Flynn and McAllister. The pressure was mounting on the Crewe defence and Barnet introduced a fresh strike force to get something from the game.
With the minutes ticking away, Mark Hughes shot straight into the mid-drift of Phillips and Butcher was booked for a late and reckless challenge on Donaldson. Crewe continued to play keep ball and when he was needed Steve Phillips eased the pressure with immaculate handling.
