New-look Swindon Town fall to defeat at Crewe Alexandra

The game was all square at the break, with Crewe taking an early lead through Elliott Nevitt before Charlie Austin levelled after 30 minutes.

Following a hard-fought second, Courtney Baker-Richardson turned home the winning goal 20 minutes from time to continue Town’s winless start to 2024.

Town have still won just once in their last eight matches and the defeat keeps them in 16th place in the League Two table.

Michael Flynn brought all three of his January signings in to make their first starts for the club, with Jack Bycroft replacing Lewis Ward between the sticks, as well as Dawson Devoy and Paul Glatzel moving into midfield and attack respectively. Remeao Hutton, the last remaining player to have played every minute of the season, dropped out of the squad altogether.

Kokolo runs down the wing (Image: Callum Knowles)

The game had an open start and Crewe had a good chance after just two minutes as Joe White ran free into space left behind Williams Kokolo. He was able to check onto his left foot and fire a shot low and just wide of the far post.

It took just 13 minutes for the hosts to take the lead having looked the more threatening early on. Aaron Rowe played the ball from the right touchline to the edge of the area, where Nevitt had gotten away from Tom Brewitt before nearly taking the net off with a fierce strike into the corner of the goal.

The fresh faces in the Swindon side seemed to be adding some energy in forward areas but behind them, Town were at sixes and sevens. The Crewe attackers were all coming out on top in the duels and as they exchanged their positions managed to find infinite amounts of space.

Devoy looks to shoot (Image: Callum Knowles)

Swindon finally put together a nice move after 21 minutes when Glatzel and Devoy worked the ball from right to left into Williams Kokolo. His speed and trickery got him down the side of the area where he laid the ball back to Devoy, but he couldn’t find enough room for a shot.

Saidou Khan gave the ball away too easily in midfield and Crewe quickly countered. Rowe jinked away from Harrison Minturn with far too much ease and motored to the top of the box before shooting just wide of the bottom corner.

On the half-hour mark, Udoka Godwin-Malife drove into midfield, creating space for Tyrese Shade out wide. He got around the outside of Rio Adebisi and played a low ball into Austin, who got away from his marker and reversed a shot beyond Tom Booth.

Austin celebrates the equaliser (Image: Callum Knowles)

Town ended the half in the ascendancy as the equaliser looked to have deflated the hosts. Shade and Godwin-Malife combined a few times to get them into good areas as Swindon had good control over possession.

Alex had a renewed vigour as they came out for the second half and before long had a chance as Chris Long was able to get away from Minturn on the edge of the area. He took a touch and spun before shooting at goal, but Bycroft was in position to make the save.

Marking from Town was again sloppy after 52 minutes as Long dropped into midfield and collected the ball. As Shade tried to scramble back towards him he let fly from 25 yards and his effort tickled the roof of the net as it went over.

Khan with the ball in midfield (Image: Callum Knowles)

The chances kept coming for Crewe as a Mickey Demetriou long throw was allowed to bounce in the box and went through to Nevitt. He got a head to it but could not generate the power to direct it beyond Bycroft.

Swindon had their own chance to go close when Devoy’s low corner was flicked on by Fraser Blake-Tracy and deflected into the path of Godwin-Malife. The defender was able to get a shot away but it was blocked by a crowd of bodies in front of the goal.

The match was lacking a little bit in quality, but both sides were battling hard to try and find a winning goal. Swindon were holding possession more and were troubling down the flanks, but Crewe always looked like they carried a threat on the counter.

Austin chasing after the ball (Image: Callum Knowles)

That goal came after 70 minutes when former Swindon man Conor Thomas stole a march into the box and got on the end of a cross. With his back to goal, he tried a backheel that deflected fortuitously into the path of substitute Baker-Richardson in the six-yard box and he tapped it into the back of the net.

On his return to the matchday squad, Rushian Hepburn-Murphy had a chance to level with a run down the outside of the Crewe defence but his near-post finish was denied by the outstretched leg of Tom Booth.

Austin does a bottle flip (Image: Callum Knowles)

CAFC starting XI: Booth, Adebisi, Demetriou, Offord, Long, Thomas, O’Riordan, Nevitt, Rowe, Billington, White.

CAFC substitutes: Davies, Cooney, Baker-Richardson, Tracey, Leigh, Colkett, Kempster-Down.

STFC starting XI: Bycroft, Khan, Glatzel, Brewitt, Kokolo, Devoy, Godwin-Malife, Kinsella, Shade, Minturn, Austin.

STFC substitutes: Ward, Blake-Tracy, McEachran, Hepburn-Murphy, Cain, Dworzak, Keyes.

Attendance: 4,197.