The 5 most important Crewe Alex 23-24 games

Crewe Alex have a long history of finishing in the play-offs. Since the inception of the competition in the mid 80s, they have made them 5 times in 1992, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1997 and 2012. This will be their 6th appearance, with their record being not so good in them, given they only twice got over the line, in 1997 and 2012.

But in order to make the dance, you have to amass the points you need, which is usually between 70 and 75. Well, the Alex picked up 71, which was enough in the end. And that got me thinking about which games were absolutely pivotal in them reaching their goal. And I picked out 5 games which I think helped them more than others:

Crewe Alex 3-1 Milton Keynes Dons, 2nd September 2023

The Alex had just come off a tricky August where they went 1-3-1. They'd won well against Newport, but had struggled at various points in the other games, scrapping out 3 plucky draws and putting in a disappointing performance and losing at Bradford the week prior. They needed a response, but in form MK Dons, with manager of the month Graham Alexander at the helm, would prove to be tough customers.

The Dons raced into an early lead through Jonathon Leko. However, the Alex grew into the game. It took them an hour, but they found an equaliser through a smart Conor Thomas finish. 7 minutes later, CBR fired in a rebound to put them ahead. And to settle the nerves, Chris Long broke clear in injury time to smash in a 3rd and wrap up the points.

It was an impressive performance and it was the first time I sat up and thought that maybe the Alex could do something this season. The result also sent MK Dons on a rollercoaster ride, where they slid down the table, sacked Alexander and appointed Mike Williamson, who guided them to 4th. So yeah, you're welcome MK fans.

Crewe Alex 1-0 Notts County, 11th November 2023

The Alex had been picking up important results throughout September and October. But as they entered November, their injury crisis was at it's peak. Their bench for this game was Booth, Billington, Colkett, Finney, Agius, Nolan and Robinson. And remember, this was when County were 4th, just ahead of the Alex who were in 5th. It was a big game between 2 promotion chasers(at the time).

The game was a tough one for the depleted Alex, who held on well and restricted County's dangerous attack to very few chances on goal. Then with almost the final kick of the game, a long ball upfront sent Cooney away. His attempt to cross the ball hit the arm of Jodi Jones, which saw the ref give a penalty. That set off mass protests in the away end, with the assistant referee in front of them attacked. After a massive delay, CBR stepped up to smash home the penalty and give the Alex the most unlikely of wins.

Mansfield Town 0-1 Crewe Alex, 6th January 2024

I was going to go with the win over Bradford the week before. But this one was slightly more important. They'd snapped a 6 game winless streak with that Bradford win, but a trip to high flying Mansfield, who were looking to go top with a win. The Alex had won 3 away games, but hadn't shown themselves capable of going to a big team and winning. Oh and did I mention that Mansfield were unbeaten in the league at home coming into it?

Well, an early Joe White goal saw them edge ahead in surprising fashion. They then defended heroically to keep out wave after wave of Stags pressure. They saw the game out brilliantly to end Mansfield's unbeaten home record and it also I think helped launch them into an impressive run of form, going 5-2-1 in their next 8, which for me did the bulk of the work needed to reach the top 7. It was a massive win.

Stockport County 1-3 Crewe Alex, 13th February 2024

Again, I could have picked Barrow for how sweet it was. They ended another teams unbeaten home record and played superbly. But it was the win at Edgeley Park which was arguably the high water mark of the Alex's performances. Stockport were top and looked odds on to win the title, which of course they eventually did.

The Alex had gone there on Boxing Day 2022 and not even managed a shot. But this time, they found themselves ahead early through another Mickey Demetriou goal. Stockport equalised, but Ed Turns found the net to give the Alex the lead once again. A Josh Austerfield effort from the edge of the box in the 2nd half gave them breathing room and they saw the game out in, to be honest, consummate ease.

It was a superb performance and win, one of only 3 teams to go there and take 3 points off them.

Morecambe 0-1 Crewe Alex, 9th April 2024

The Alex were struggling. After losing at home to Morecambe by throwing away a 2 goal lead at the start of March, they came into this game off the back of 1 game in 8 and the chasing pack slowly closing in on them. They were desperate for a win with only 4 games left in the schedule.

Thankfully, they had a trip to the Globe Arena, a ground they've never lost in since it was built. It was another cagey affair, with neither side showing the quality. But then, Zac Williams broke from defence, went on a mazy dribble into the box and his deflected shot fell nicely into Nevitt's path, who smashed into the roof of the net to send the away end crazy.

A late Lewis Leigh red card made things more difficult, but they were able to see the game out and emerge with 3 crucial points, which made a massive difference in terms of what they needed in the final 3 games.

Final Word

There are some honourable mentions. Newport at home, FGR away, Crawley away, Barrow away, Notts County away. Maybe even a couple of the draws, like Wimbledon or Colchester. There have been many memorable games this season, but the 5 above will go as their most important in my opinion.