Do you ever get the feeling that you keep repeating yourself? I do and I'm fed up of it. Maybe this is where I should be cut and paste from previous match reports. Maybe this is where I should write a fresh bout of criticism and disbelief at what I am seeing from match officials. Or maybe I should just glance over it on this occasion as it is becoming very depressing and I can't be bothered to argue over the decisions anymore.
It's very easy for opposition fans to have a go at the Latics and call us dirty. If they had witnessed the decisions we have had, they would be frustrated beyond their worst nightmares. As they aren't qualified to judge though, it's all to difficult to resist the cheap shots - but the facts are plain to see. From 8 red cards this season, 6 have been straight reds of which just 1 is indisputable - Sheridan's red card at Tranmere. It'd be better to learn to play a non-contact sport with 10 men and then we might stand a chance. Although to be honest, we don't need to learn to play with 10 men because even still we've been the better side and against Crewe, might have sneaked a winner until Pogliacomi's crucial errors.
The turning point came about in the 28th minute. Until then, the hosts had been playing the most fluent, passing football witnessed in months at Boundary Park and if the few "honest" Crewe fans out there admitted it, the Blues looked pretty damn awesome. However, despite creating a few openings the pressure failed to produce a highly deserved goal and thus when the crucial moment occurred, the opening performance was sure to count for nothing.
The pivotal moment began with Kenny Lunt's neat through ball sending Steve Jones away from the Latics defence. However, Jones was heading away towards the corner flag, not into the penalty area. Chasing Jones, Hall couldn't get out off the players path and ended up clipping his ankle, sending the Crewe player into a crumpled heap. The referee appeared to see it as a mere tangling of legs and didn't blow for it, however his failure to wave play on prompted the linesman to spring into action. He decided to raise his flag and wave it so hard, I'm surprised his hand didn't fall off at the wrist. Without even consulting the official, the referee (who, don't forget, wasn't going to give it) amazingly pulled out a straight red card. Where is the common sense? This was out towards the left wing so who says that the defence wouldn't have been back to cover by the time Jones advanced into the area? I have many more questions, but they all point to the same answer - the referee hasn't read the rulebook in years and the Latics are victimised yet again.
The opening exchanges saw the Latics almost take an unlikely lead within 120 seconds as loanee keeper, Danny Milosevic, had to palm Eyres inswinging cross from under the bar. From that effort, Crewe raced down the other end and Hulse had Pogliacomi on his toes when a long range shot landed on top of the Latics goal. The Aussie keeper needed to keep a close eye on it all the way just in case.
After the opening exchanges, the Latics really took control. On 5, Andrews was put clean through after Murray’s long range effort was badly chested down by a Crewe defender, gifting a free run at goal. Preparing to chip the former Leeds Utd keeper, Tierney pulled out a terrific lunging tackle forcing Andrews to turn his back from goal. Selfishly, the youngster turned and saw his shot deflect wide when a simple tap back to John Eyre would have almost certainly seen the opener.
Four minutes latter, the Latics flooded forward again. This time Hall robbed a Crewe player in midfield and threaded Andrews into space. Looking determined to get the goal he so-deserved against Crewe at Gresty Road, the former Chesham man powered a strike for the top corner. Milosevic pulled out a top-drawer stop to keep the scores level.
With the hosts breaking forward with wave after wave of attack, an opener seemed destined. And if Andrews hadn’t been greedy again on 12, he could have threaded Eyres clean through but he instead placed a woeful effort wide of goal. Minutes later another great move carved open Crewe’s defence again as this time Eyres sent Baudet in behind. This time the angle was too tight and despite latching onto the ball, the Frenchman chipped not only the keeper but agonisingly wide of the far post.
Crewe finally got into the Latics final third on 20, but that was only to see hopeful appeals for a Haining handball waved away. Slowly, Crewe started to gain a bit more possession. That didn’t stop the hosts creating another great chance though as on 27, good work from Burgess sent Eyre through but he couldn’t get enough on the ball to score. But how things were to turn. It was merely seconds later and the whole landscape of a so far, one-sided contest changed completely. The Hall-Jones tangle occurred and the linesman and referee proceeded to destroy any Latics hopes of a vital victory. Enough said!!!
Despite a shocked home support, the Latics still created a chance within seconds as Burgess almost headed in but saw the ball deflect wide of the far post. However, after that missed opportunity the game began to slow down. It evolved into seeing two teams become very wary of each other – one looking to respond to a body blow with damage limitation, whilst the other looked at how to take advantage of a wounded animal and probed with intent to harm further.
Half-time approached with Crewe looking to stretch the Latics. Baudet had to protect the defence now, rather than look to advance forward and thus the visitors could enjoy more room to move. The hosts looked fairly comfortably with this, but still Sorvel did see a half-chance blocked with what looked like an arm on the stroke of the whistle. Amazingly too, Andrews seemed to have badly hurt Foster with a crunching tackle but after the earlier harsh decision, the referee merely talked to the forward and told him to calm down. We’ve had players sent off for less and maybe the referee had realised this in the 15 minutes after Hall’s red card!!!
Ironically, the referee didn’t appear for the 2nd half. Noises after the game were that he had a thigh strain, but many suspect that the prat had bottled it once Dowie gave him a half-time roasting when the teams left the pitch.
Hoping that this referee had more sense, the Latics enjoyed a good comfortable spell for the opening 10 minutes. It was hard to see who was short of a man as neither side looked to get on top, however as the hour mark struck Crewe began to pass the ball about better and work openings. A very good 2-3 minute spell put the hosts defence under allsorts of pressure and finally it cracked on 63 as Crewe took the lead. Jones chipped a neat ball over a static back-line and Hulse charged through to lob a stranded Pogliacomi. 0-1.
With the Latics reeling, it needed a cool temperament to save them from falling further behind however Crewe nearly doubled their lead seconds later as Jones found time and space in the box to turn and shoot. Fortunately, he powered his effort over the bar.
Needing to find a tonic from somewhere, the hosts were eventually rewarded for hard work and perseverance. A pass to Armstrong in space allowed him to run into a huge gap on the right of Crewe's defence and slot across the substitute Crewe keeper into the far corner (Milosevic was forced off with a broken wrist after going in for a 50/50 ball with Andrews). 1-1.
The half continued with both sides making half chances. First, Murray's swirling long-ranger tested the Crewe keeper and then minutes later, Tierney's inswinging ball viscously swerved to fool everyone and crash against the foot of the Latics post. Then on 76, Berahall couldn't quite reach to head away a dangerous cross into the box, but his jump left an unmarked Lunt unsighted, putting him off his free header. The ball tamely bounced up into Pogi's hands.
The Latics had made changes as the half progressed, with Carss, Duxbury and Corazzin all coming on to help keep the ball in Crewe's half. And for a period the Latics were doing this well. Still the sides seemed inseparable as the hosts defied their man advantage. But then disaster struck; the stalemate was broken once again but this time through bad goalkeeping errors which handed Crewe an unjust victory.
With just 7 minutes left, a deep ball into the Latics box asked questions. Pogliacomi came darting off his goal-line for a ball he was never going to reach, leaving his goal wide open. Jones managed to get the header in which Duxbury hacked off the line, however his clearance fell straight to Hulse 8 yards out and he rammed the ball into the bottom corner. A good finish, but a costly error from the Aussie. 1-2.
Having seen one bad mistake, the Latics couldn't afford any more as they searched for another equaliser. However, wishes haven't been coming true lately (ie. wishes for better refs) and thus when Pogliacomi had the easiest of saves to make, a horrific error ended the Blues hopes of gaining anything from a very good performance. A long range grasscutter from substitute Ashton, zipped along the turf and diving Pogliacomi looked to have gathered the ball. However, he hadn't as the ball slipped between his palms and rolled into the back of the net. 1-3.
Ever reliable Pogliacomi, who had performed well until the last few minutes of the game, looked distraught. He and every Latics fan knew that despite Crewe's efforts, they wouldn't have won but for his mistakes. The Latics were in full control until the turning point and even after it, the boys made it hard to tell that they were a man short. As was the case 7 days earlier at Wycombe.
Overall though, the facts are that we cannot keep playing well in matches with 10 men. That is easier said than done though, as nobody can legislate for the idiots we have had refereeing. Common sense has evaporated from football and madness is the result. It's getting to the stage now where Latics fans are hoping just for a good referee, rather than the 3pts. It appears that one won't come without the other. And the evidence suggests that if we are allowed to finish a game with 11 men, we can beat anyone. The side is playing that well. Until then, us so called "bully-boys" must plod on in this never-ending battle. Promotion is usually tough - but we never though it would be this tough. And it doesn't get any easier - next up, Cardiff City!!!