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Crewe Alex 1-0 Gillingham 25-26 Review - Copy and Paste

  • Writer: Standing Alone
    Standing Alone
  • 14 hours ago
  • 6 min read

The Alex's win today was a copy and paste from their win over Colchester I'd say. A scrappy game with both teams a bit scared to make a mistake and the game sitting level after an hour. Then the Alex make some subs and one of those subs comes up with a game winning moment to snatch the 3 points. 3 points that take the Alex into the top 7 for the first time since early October when they beat Harrogate. Is something happening? It might well be. Here is my review of their home victory over Gillingham:


Stats


I love stats, especially underlying ones. I think xG has it's place in football discussions and fans who dismiss that and other numbers and boil it down to "the only stat that matters is the goals scored and conceded column" are stuck in the dark ages. However, to look at the stats today, it would suggest the Alex got battered and their win was a smash and grab one. 0.45 xG to Gills 1.83. 7 shots to 20, 2 shots on target to 5.


This is where even I would agree that we can't lose the eye test as a way of judging players and teams. Because anyone who watched that game would say it was an even one for the most part, but the Alex had enough quality to snatch a goal and the Gills, even in spite of all their attacking quality, didn't. This was not as one sided as it might appear to a neutral.


Defensive Rocks


Let's praise the defenders as well. I've said it more and more recently, but the Alex's attack isn't what it was. March, O'Reilly, Agius and Holicek all are either lacking fitness or are carrying knocks. They graft every week, but the inability to rotate is hurting them at the moment as these lads need a break.


However, they are being picked up in a big way by the defence. After keeping 3 clean sheets in the first 28 games, the Alex now have kept 3 in their last 4. And they have only let in 7 in their 9 games in 2026. Ian Lawlor was outstanding today. He made 2 big saves including a foot save from Sam Vokes which seemed destined to go in. He also dealt with a lot of physical pressure from the Gills at set pieces.


In front of him were 4-5 titans. Demetriou was the Demetriou of old. Calm, composed, heading everything away and even popping up with another assist on Thibaut's winner. Pond, Hutchinson, Billington and even Connolly were all excellent also. The midfield, which was very young and green by the end, covered well and broke when possible. This was a mixture of a team and individual effort to keep another clean sheet and they all deserve plaudits.


Tactical Masterclass


Bell and Dicker are getting into a nice habit of coming up with smart tactics and subs, with this game 5 in that run. Their decision to switch to something resembling a 3-4-2-1 early in the 2nd half raised eyebrows. But it worked. Thibaut with Holicek and O'Reilly in support packed the middle. Agius to RWB wasn't ideal, but he did his defensive work. Billington into midfield was an odd one, but it was done to clearly give them some extra height in there after Thomas and Powell came off.


I've criticised Thibaut in the past, but he is showing signs that maybe there is an EFL striker in there after all as he popped up with a lovely finish for his first league goal in 17 months and his first at home in front of an actual crowd. Gillingham failed to adjust to the Alex's tactical switch and by the time they did, it was too late. Bell is making the most of a limited hand numbers wise and he can take huge credit for the Alex sitting 7th right now.


Top 7


The Alex are back in the play-offs. For now. Who'd have thought that would have been possible after that Newport away game? Or the Notts County game? But here they are, with 5 wins, 3 draws and 1 defeat from their 9 games in 2026. However, there is a long way to go. They are in there by a solitary point and every team below them has 1-2 games in hand. Nobody should be getting carried away, as things can change quickly in football.


They'll need some favourable results elsewhere in the coming weeks and they'll need to keep winning themselves. But what they have done is given themselves a real chance to make some noise as they head into their final 14 games of the season. Let's hope that confidence and momentum can carry forward into Tuesday against Fleetwood.


Referee Assessment


Not great, but not terrible either. He probably missed a few yellow card challenges and why he didn't pull up Andrews for leading with his elbow on Demetriou, I don't know. But on the whole, I think he was average.


Management Assessment


The players are giving everything and so are the management as they juggle a tired and battered group. Their tactics today were spot on and as I said above, they deserve as much credit as the players for their run of form in 2026.


Player Assessments


Ian Lawlor


Superb. I don't think he was quite MOTM, but he wasn't far behind. He made a couple of big saves and his work under pressure to catch and punch away dangerous balls was huge. He's made a big difference to this team.


Lewis Billington


I find myself repeating the same things with him, which is a good thing. Solid, dependable, not much of an attacking threat but barely put a foot wrong either in defence or midfield when he moved in there.


Alfie Pond


You know he's had a good game when you can't remember much of what he did. He had just 31 touches, which again is fine for a defender.


Mickey Demetriou MOTM


Outstanding. Go look up his defensive contributions, they are ridiculous. And then he pops up with another goal contribution, his 4th in 2026. Incredible for a CB.


Reece Hutchinson


Reads the game so well, he shut down McCleary for the most part and work hard on the attack, but nobody could get onto his crosses.


Conor Thomas


I wouldn't have started him, but I thought he did fine until he came off at HT. Hopefully that's not another injury as they can ill afford it given Lunt and Powell aren't 100% and Sanders is several weeks away from returning.


Jack Powell


Not great. His dead ball deliveries were awful and he looked shattered by half time once again. It was the right call to hook him when they did.


Tommi O'Reilly


I love him gutting it out in these last few weeks, but I would like to see him lay the ball off a bit quicker at times. Although the physical punishment he's receiving lately is ridiculous. His run and shot was a good one in the 2nd half.


Matus Holicek


Grafted as usual, but he wasn't able to really influence the game. I'd like to see a bit more from him going forward.


Calum Agius


Quiet. I'd like him to show down the line more when the Alex attack, but then he was shifted to RWB and then attacking midfield in the 2nd half, so I can take him not seeing much of the ball.


Josh March


Not at it at the moment, even if he's still putting in a real shift. Does he need a game on the bench on Tuesday in place of Thibaut to allow him to recharge a bit?


Subs:


Owen Lunt


He was scrappy and tenacious in the midfield and it's now getting to the point where you feel his absence when he's not starting games. He needs to be in from the beginning on Tuesday.


Adrien Thibaut


A strong cameo where he scored the winner and gave the Gills back line no peace at all. A goal and an assist in his last 2 home games. That'll play.


James Connolly


A really impressive display where he made some important defensive contributions.


Luca Moore


Bringing him on in a RWB role was a curious choice, but he did his defensive duties out there.


Omar Bogle


I hope this really is him returning for good, not just for a few weeks. Got involved and gave the Alex a physical presence up top. They'll need him in the coming weeks.


Overall Verdict


Another gritty, scrappy win, but you'll take that all day at the moment as they nudge closer to hopefully getting the likes of Tezgel, Lankester and Sanders back fit. They'll need to keep pushing as they are still behind in the race for the top 7. But with 50 points now banked and them 1 point ahead of where they were last season, fingers crossed they can back it up with another 3 on Tuesday.



 
 
 

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