Match report: Latics 0 – 0 Crewe Alexandra

Depleted Latics again showed plenty of grit and determination to gain a valuable point against a very decent Crewe side.

Oldham Athletic 0

Crew Alexandra 0

8,973 (1,354)

All in all, Latics can be pleased with this result given the quality of their opponents, their long list of injured and suspended first-choice midfielders, and the number of chances they gave the visitors, especially in the first half.

First the opposition: Crewe are capable in defence and dangerous on the attack. Latics have got results this season through raw commitment, but Crewe matched them in that department too, which made for a very entertaining game.

Crewe’s two loanees from the upper echelons of the football pyramid – Tommi O’Reilly from Aston Villa and Emre Trezgel from Stoke City – did no harm to their reputations, but Crewe had plenty more going forward in James Connolly, Matús Holíček and Owen Lunt.

Trezgel could have had a first-half hat-trick. First, he got across Donervon Daniels at the near post to meet a cross but glanced his header across goal and out. Next, he took advantage of Daniels’ indecision and hit a shot from the edge of the area that smashed against the underside of the bar and away to safety.

On the stroke of half time, he really, really ought to have done better from five yards out to convert a peach of a cross from O’Reilly. Latics were living dangerously and could well have been dead and buried by the interval. Twice they allowed Max Sanders to dance into the area to shoot, and twice he missed the target.

Latics had better opportunities in the second period, but only after Crewe had again gone close. Lunt’s header from the penalty spot beat Hudson but came back off the post, Billington’s fierce effort from just outside the area went straight down Hudson’s throat, and Matus Holíček’s effort from inside the D hit Conor Thomas before bouncing out for a goal kick.

For Latics, Manny Monthé went close when he headed at far-post cross into the top corner only for Tom Booth in the Crewe goal to somehow claw it out. Kane Drummond flashed a shot over from the left with everyone in the Jimmy Frizzell stand praying that this would be the moment he scored his first league goal for the club.

Enter Mike Fondop, cult hero and the man to conjure (or more likely bulldoze) a goal through willpower and desire. He had no more than a couple of half chances. He scored numerous far-post headers from crosses last season and his one opportunity from that area today hit him rather than him hitting it. It took a flick off Connolly and Fondop wasn’t in control of it when he sent it over. He muscled his way to another chance but snatched at his volley and lobbed it into the Jimmy Frizzell stand.

Latics went close at the end when Michael Mellon’s free-kick was palmed round the post by Booth, but there was to be no late heist.

This was Latics’ highest home crowd since the play-off eliminator against FC Halifax Town in May, and they would all – Alex fans included – have gone home happy with a point and happy enough that they had seen a proper game of football.

OLDHAM ATHLETIC: Mat Hudson, Jake Caprice, Donervon Daniels, Manny Monthé, Jamie Robson, Josh Hawkes, Kai Payne, Tom Pett (c), Luke Hannant (Kane Drummond 72), Joe Garner (Mike Fondop 65), Michael Mellon

Subs not used: Tom Donaghy, Reagan Ogle, Jake Leake, Will Sutton, Joe Quigley

CREWE ALEXANDRA: Tom Booth, Lewis Billington, Reece Hutchinson, Mickey Demetriou (c), Max Sanders, Conor Thomas, Matús Holíček (Louis Moult 89), James Connolly (Dion Rankine 84), Owen Lunt, Tommi O’Reilly, Emre Tezgel

Subs not used: Sam Waller, Jay Mingi, Charlie Finney, James Golding, Phil Croker