Blues v Crewe Abandoned

Last updated : 03 February 2002 By Brian Cartlidge
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With the game deadlocked at 0-0 referee Alan Butler took the players off for 15 minutes to see if conditions may improve, but was forced to abandon the game with 55 minutes played with standing water on the pitch.

During the 55 minutes that were played Blues rarely threatened against an in-form Alex.

Tommy Mooney, restored to the Blues starting line-up after the 1-0 defeat at West Brom in midweek, failed to hit the target with a left-foot shot from the edge of the penalty area in the opening minute as Blues began brightly.

The Blues striker was in the thick of the action once again after six minutes when his shot from 25 yards was well saved by visiting goalkeeper Ademole Bankole.

Crewe - who have won their last four games in all competitions - launched their first attack after eight minutes, but Rodney Jack's shot whistled over the crossbar.

Marcelo - replaced Lazaridis
Geoff Horsfield, also back in the Blues attack after missing out against the Baggies because of a one game suspension, went close twice in quick succession with one shot going over the crossbar and the other being saved by Bankole.

Jack was proving the biggest threat for the visitors and his shot from the edge of the area after 22 minutes went wide.

Blues were struggling to create chances against an increasingly assured Crewe side, who had midfielder Kenny Lunt booked just after the half hour mark for what appeared to be an elbow on Martin Grainger.

Jack had another shot blocked by Darren Purse just before the break as the stalemate continued and Marcelo replaced the injured Stan Lazaridis on the stroke of half-time for Blues.

Blues groundstaff worked hard during the break to try and clear the pitch of surface water as the rain pelted onto the St. Andrews pitch.

Jack raced clear for Crewe in the first minute of the second half but his shot was well saved by Bennett.

This proved to be the last real chance of the game as the referee consulted the managers of both sides and decided to delay play for 15 minutes.

When he re-appeared on the pitch, with the managers of both sides and the Blues groundstaff, the decision was made to abandon the game.

Blues: Bennett, Kenna, Grainger, Purse, M.Johnson, Eaden, Hughes, Carter, Lazaridis (Marcelo 43), Mooney, Horsfield. Subs not used: Vaesen, O'Connor, A.Johnson, Furlong.

Crewe: Bankole, Wright, Smith, Lunt, Ashton, Jack, Sodje, Sorvel, Brammer, Foster, Vaughan. Subs: Ince, Walton, Rix, Collins, Hulse.

Referee: A.Butler (Nottinghamshire)

Attendance: 21,676

Pitch photo courtesy of Chelmsley-Blue