Steve Davis gives us his post match reaction from the Priestfield Stadium following defeat.
Crewe Alexandra slipped to their third defeat in six games after being on the receiving end of a 3-0 defeat at the Priestfield Stadium. Goals from Dominic Samuel, an unfortunate own goal from Jon Guthrie and a late third from Josh Wright sealed the three points for Justin Edinburgh's promotion seeking side.
The Alex boss was disappointed with the start we made to the proceedings and the manner in which we conceded the opening two goals. It made us chase the game against the promotion seeking Gills and although we were much more positive in the second period, we couldn’t find that finish to apply some real pressure on the home side.
Steve told the club’s official web-site: “We didn’t start the game well and we were a bit nervy. It was as if we were waiting for something to happen and we couldn’t get a foothold in the game. The tempo wasn’t there from us and we went on to concede a really poor goal. It came early again and conceding soft goals only makes it more difficult.
“We didn’t offer much as an attacking threat in the first half with only Zoumana offering something in the final third. His volley was an excellent effort and I thought he was our outstanding player today. He was a threat with his pace and willingness to get forward and put crosses in for us. He was certainly a positive, as were the young ones Cooper, Kirk and Ainley in the second half.
“We made some readjustments and had some words at half-time. We used the time not to criticise the players but to adjust what we wanted to do because the game plan didn’t work in the first half.
“The only positive from the first half was that it was only 1-0 and we were much better in the second half. We knew that Harry (Davis) would tire and we thought Foxy would tire so we made some changes and got another forward on.
“We wanted everyone to push on 20 yards up the pitch and they did that and we started to get more of a foothold in the game. The midfield became to get on top of their men and although we didn’t force their keepers into a lot of saves, we did have some chances and I don’t think George Cooper has ever had so many shots in a game.
“We had a great chance to level it up when Haber has put Hitchcock in but he snatched at it. It was a type of finish from someone who is a bit out of form at the moment and it was a key moment in the game because not long after that, they get their second goal.
“It was a mistake between our left back and centre-back and Samuel has got free in the box and hit the underside of the bar and it has hit Jon and gone in. That about sums it up for us. It was a bit of bad luck but it isn’t all about luck because it was a calamity of a goal in the lead up to it.
The boss added: “We went for it and had a go in the second half. We gambled and that is always going to leave spaces for the opposition. It became a really open game and I couldn’t fault their effort in the second half but we were not clinical enough and find that goal to get back into it.”