Crewe Alexandra's participation in the FA Youth Cup ended at Cambridge United's Abbey Stadium. Everything seemed to be going according to plan when skipper Nick Farquharson gave Crewe a 23rd minute lead, but the home side hit back with two splendid goals before the first half was complete. Although Crewe gave everything they had in the second half in their search for an equaliser, the Cambridge youngsters held firm to hold onto their 2-1 advantage and progress to the fourth round.
Crewe Alexandra created the first opening in the opening couple of minutes. Amari Morgan-Smith chased a relatively lost cause in the left channel and in the process drew the Cambridge United keeper Paul Smith away from his goal. Having blocked his progress with literally his face, the loose ball broke to the supportive Luke Danville close to the by-line. With the goal empty, his composed cross was originally dummied by the Crewe captain Nick Farquharson to allow Luke Murphy a strike at goal, but his firm drive was blocked on the edge of the box.
Crewe kept the early pressure on and forced a succession of corners and free-kicks that the Cambridge defence and keeper Smith dealt with comfortably enough. On 14 minutes, Amari-Smith just couldn't quite the ball out from underneath his feet after Farquharson had picked him out at the near post. If he had been able to collect the ball in his stride, it would have been a good chance inside the home side's six-yard box.
Alex centre-back Thomas Lappin then headed straight at Smith after being picked out superbly from an Ashley Westwood corner. In fairness, the home side were enjoying just as much possession as the young Railwaymen, but they couldn't quite breach the Alex final third to really test goalkeeper Jack Baker.
Crewe took the lead on 23 minutes with another purposeful attack. The Cambridge defence were struggling to contain the pace of Morgan-Smith and his sidekick Farquharson and they would inevitably be involved in the opening goal. A testing ball through the heart of the Cambridge defence from AJ Leitch-Smith gave Morgan-Smith ample opportunity to again chase and thus give Paul Smith in the Cambridge goal something to think about.
In fairness, the home keeper again did well to spread himself and deny Morgan-Smith, but fortunately the loose ball fell invitingly to the feet of this strike partner and he simply rolled it into the unguarded net. Crewe had deserved their early lead but in truth, the Cambridge keeper was a little unlucky as the final man in his defence.
In reply, the home side conjured up a half chance almost immediately but a deflected shot off of the boot of the Alex defender Russ Courtney bounced over his own bar. That seemed to inspire Cambridge into another gear and they quickly drew level on 29 minutes. Craig Bussens curled a splendid shot into the Crewe top corner, after Crewe had failed to clear a corner properly.
Crewe so nearly regained the lead just minutes later though. Again Morgan-Smith showed great perseverance in a wide area and again Farquharson intelligently left his low cross for Leitch-Smith coming in behind him, but the blonde striker stabbed the chance over the bar. He would have been disappointed not to at least made the goalkeeper work from there.
Cambridge were getting more and more into the game though and Bussens nearly weaved his way through the Alex rearguard, only to be halted in his tracks by the covering Courtney. The home side went ahead just before half time thanks to a quite wonderful strike from Piers Wixon. Crewe surrendered possession far too easily in the Cambridge half and when the ball broke invitingly to the Cambridge youngster he had one thing on his mind. Despite being 30 yards out, the striker did not hesitate to unleash an unstoppable shot past Baker.
From looking relatively comfortable in the early exchanges of the first half, the Alex youngsters now found themselves behind and wanting the comfort of the half-time whistle. It was a cracking cup-tie, with both sets of players showing real commitment and desire in the tackle.
Crewe were certainly out on the pitch a lot earlier than their opponents for the start of the second half and you could sense that they were desperate to draw level early doors. Chris Clements was unlucky to see his curling shot hit the post early in the second half. The midfielder did everything right with his execution but the Cambridge keeper Smith must have got the slightest of touches to it as Crewe were awarded a corner.
Clements then whistled one just past the post as Crewe attempted to get themselves back on level terms in this third round tie.
Of course, the danger was that Cambridge went further ahead. Wide man Robbie Wilmott tried to catch Baker out with an adventurous curling shot but his final effort took the slightest of deflections to take it over the bar for a corner.
Crewe continued to pressurise, with both Morgan-Smith and Farquharson going close. Morgan-Smith was only denied a chance to equalise by some smart decision making from the Cambridge keeper Smith and then Farquharson acrobatically volleyed just wide of the post after Clements had headed a Luke Danville cross dangerously into the penalty area.
Deadball specialist Robbie Wilmott again tried his luck from a long distance free-kick, but on this occasion it was not accurate enough to test Baker in the Crewe goal and sailed harmlessly over the bar.
With 15 minutes remaining, Steve Holland introduced the fresh legs of Ben Marshall for Amari Morgan-Smith. The attack-minded Dexter Ravenhill also came on for full-back Luke Danville, as Crewe began to throw everything they had at the Cambridge defence. Farquharson smashed another effort into the side netting but the home defence were holding firm under pressure. They defended their penalty area with some resolute clearances and tackles and didn't allow Crewe to create that one real chance we needed to take the tie into extra-time.
The one time the Cambridge keeper missed a James Bailey cross inside his six-yard box, our clutch of players couldn't quite get a decisive touch on it at the far post with the goal at their mercy. As much as Crewe huffed and puffed in the closing stages, we just couldn't quite manage to create that one real clear-cut chance that our play in the second half arguably merited. Credit to the Cambridge United youngsters though, who scored two wonderful goals and defended superbly under pressure in the second period.
