Alex are back: Crewe..2 Walsall..1

2:08pm Tuesday 26th August 2008

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IT was like the good old days down Gresty Road.

Crewe’s ascendancy during the 90’s was based around an exciting brand of attacking football.

Go tell your friends, it’s back after a few years away from the Alexandra Stadium.

After so many negatives against Brighton, the home faithful had plenty to shout following last Saturday’s vital win over Walsall.

And Joel Grant could well be the key man to retaining that feel-good factor over the coming months.

Signed from Blue Square Premier champions Aldershot, the winger looks to be steal at £130,000 after a dazzling display against the Saddlers.

Grant’s winner will no doubt be a contender for goal of the season.

Deep into first-half stoppage time, he covered almost half of the pitch, cutting the Walsall defence to ribbons before dispatching a left-footer beyond Clayton Ince.

Icing on the cake after a thrilling first 45-odd minutes.

Walsall had started the brighter and things could have been so different had Steve Collis been punished on six minutes.

The Alex number one hesitated on Sofiene Zaaboub’s left-sided cross, leaving in-form Jabo Ibehre with a real sitter he prodded wide from six-yards.

A real let-off before Crewe gradually began to boss proceedings.

Under pressure from new recruit Clayton Donaldson and Calvin Zola, Anthony Elding and Tom Pope have a battle to retain their shirts.

But they do appear a promising pairing as both delivered again.

Elding should have opened the scoring on 15 minutes when his strike-partner flicked on a Billy Jones cross, putting him one-on-one against Ince who made the save.

The former Leeds and Stockport man soon made up for it when a poor back pass let in Pope who went on to force the Trinidadian to parry.

Elding followed up to smash the rebound of an empty net, sparking huge celebrations and gestures to gee up the crowd.

Grant could have doubled the lead after a fine move between Pope, Byron Moore and James Bailey as he burst down the left and rattled the bar.

Moore put another decent opportunity wide while Collis redeemed himself with an excellent stop to thwart Nicholls late in the half.

While Crewe would have been pleased with 1-0, they deserved more and got it through some real magic from Grant who raced to Holland for a high-five.

Despite a two-goal cushion, the hosts went out looking for more goals and Elding went close twice to wrapping up the game.

In for the injured Chris McCready, Danny O’Donnell was keeping the ship steady with Julien Baudet and it was a surprise when Walsall hit back on the hour.

One sleepy moment cost them when Ibehre found an unmarked Stephen Hughes who fired across Collins into the corner of the net.

Crewe were rattled and it took some good work from Collis to prevent a Walsall revival.

Both Hughers and Demontagnac were wasteful before the Alex regained their composure.

Elding found the net again only for a dubious off-side flag to appear and Pope went close while Demontagnac put a long-ranger marginally wide with five minutes to go.

Donaldson received a cameo and Grant was denied a glorious second by a great save from Ince at the death.

Quality.

Crewe: Collis, Woodards, Jones, Baudet, O’Donnell, O’Connor, Bailey, Grant, Moore, Pope, Elding (Donaldson 81).

Subs not used: Schumacher, Carrington, Miller, Westwood.

Attendance - 4,160.

Guardian man-of-the-match: Joel Grant - Superb