Tuesday, January 30, 2007 at Gresty Road, Crewe.
Johnstone's Paint Trophy Northern Area Final, 1st leg.
A cold, fine evening in Cheshire for the first leg of the area final of the Johnstone's Paint Trophy saw the Rovers make changes from Saturday's line-up. Steve Roberts, Gareth Roberts, Mark Wilson, Mark McCommon and Lewis Guy came in for Adam Lockwood, Peter Gilbert, Paul Green, James Coppinger and Jonathan Forte.
Defending the Railway end, the Rovers set off at a tremendous rate of knots. Wave after wave of attacks came in from the Rovers as they went for the jugular. Stock put over the bar from 25 yards, a couple of corners won and Heffernan put just wide of the far post with a shot from about 18 yards to the right of goal. Smith, in the Rovers goal, made his first save after 12 minutes as Varney got in a shot from the left.McCammon had a good header to a cross from Price well saved by keeper, Ben Williams. O'Connor, for Crewe then missed his kick on the Rovers 18 yard line as a cross came in from the Crewe right. Back came the Rovers to gain a free kick in a central position at the edge of the D. Stock's shot was deflected for a corner from which Wilson sent a drive wide. Continuing to have a majority of the play, the Rovers did everything but score, with shots going in from Heffernan, Guy and Price. A cracker from O'Connor, on the right, was brilliantly palmed away by the keeper. This was corrected on 28 minutes when Heffernan, trying to work space in the Crewe 6 yard box, was brought down by Baudet. The referee immediately pointed to the spot, HEFFERNAN stepped up and planted the penalty kick to the keeper's left as he dived right. The Rovers went all out to add to their score and were occasionally caught out at the back but the home players were constantly being pulled up for offside. On 40 minutes, Heffernan played a ball to STOCK, in a central position about 35 yards out. His intention was clear. He took the ball on a couple of paces before rifling in a shot that left the keeper clutching at thin air as the ball nestled in the top corner. A corner to the Rovers and good work by McCammon on the Rovers right before crossing just behind Price, who hooked the ball wide. Crewe's sole reply was to win their first corner at the end of normal time. So complete was the Rovers domination that the home crowd booed their players and manager, Dario Gradi, off the pitch at the break.
The Rovers set off in the second half as they had started the first. But after 5 minutes some dilatory play by Stock, who lost the ball in midfield, from which the home team won a corner was followed by a clearance out to Otsemobor, whose low drive into the Rovers area was turned into the net by MOSS. This gave the home team the impetus to have a go at the Rovers. However, on 62 minutes, McCammon was away down the left, inside to Price, back to McCammon and from virtually on the penalty spot he fired wide of a post. A minute later, the enormity of this miss was brought home to the Rovers when LOWE ran on to a through ball and slotted past Smith for an equaliser. The Rovers took stock of the situation and began to play as they had earlier. A tremendous drive from 30 yards by O'Connor, for the Rovers, was deflected towards the Crewe goal but Vaughan was there to clear off the goalline. A couple of corners to the Rovers was followed on 74 minutes, when HEFFERNAN slammed in from 8 yards after a cross from the left was knocked back to him. Two minutes later and Price went through the middle, was challenged, the ball went to Heffernan on the right but he hammered it into the sidenetting. Nine minutes from time, following good play by the Rovers, Guy, on the left, sent in a stinging shot that Williams palmed away to McCammon, who headed over the bar. With four minutes of normal time to go, the home team levelled again when Otsemobor crossed from the right for VARNEY to head in at the far post. Time ran down to the close and a draw of 3-3 would go to Doncaster and it's all to play for.
Teams - Crewe Alex - Ben Williams; Jon Otsemobor, Julien Bauden, Billy Jones, Darren Moss; Gary Roberts, Neil Cox, Michael O'Connor, David Vaughan, Luke Varney, Ryan Lowe.
Subs used -
Subs not used - Tony Grant, Michael Higdon, Paul Bignot, Danny O'Donnell, Owain Williams gk
ROVERS - Ben Smith; James O'Connor, Steve Roberts, Graeme Lee, Gareth Roberts; Lewis Guy, Mark Wilson, Brian Stock, Jason Price; Mark McCammon, Paul Heffernan.
Subs used - Adam Lockwood for McCammon 89 mins; Paul Green for Price 90 mins;
Subs not used - Peter Gilbert, Bruce Dyer, Barry Richardson gk
Caution - Guy
