Match Report 2001-2002

Friday 02 November, 2001, Division One

Crewe Alex Away

Davison throws it away

I mean no disrespect to Aidan Davison but there is no way he should become City's number one keeper.

Leading 2-1 with a couple of minutes on the club and it was Davison's mistake that cost City a first away win since Portsmouth. A half hearted punch clear left Crewe to cross and Steve Foster to head home.

All of which was harsh on the Bantams who had taken the game to the railwaymen and deserved the early lead. Robbie Blake cut in from the left and unleashed a blistering drive past Ademola Bankole in the Crewe goal. Typical Blake to turn it on in the week when Juanjo's arrival means his place is under threat. His best year(s) came when under pressure for his place from Issy Rankin, perhaps the same will be true now.

Dean Ashton, multimillion rated Arsenal target, headed home a free kick from a cross stranding Davison five minutes later to give Crewe an equaliser. Matthew Etherington teased down the wing, Gary Locke gave strength back to a midfield missing it on Tuesday night.

Nevertheless City defence, robbed of the injured David Wetherall and the dropped Walsh looked unsure. Crewe had pace, City did not. 73 minutes and Stuart McCall gave City the lead that Davison was eventually to surrender, latching onto an Eoin Jess through ball and slotting home nicely. A third decisive goal should have come from Robbie Blake but he put his shot past Bankole and into the side netting. As always with City this season, chances wasted were costly. Two minutes from time and Foster got his goal.

All of which seemed pretty unfair on City at the time although one suspects that this was a self inflicted wound. Very few people would blame Gary Walsh for City's bad month , even fewer would suggest that the frequently hapless Davison should replace him. After his display at Leeds where he failed to even touch the ball until 70 minutes as those East of Pudsey pummelled us I thought and hoped that we would never see him again.

When Walsh benefited from Matt Clarke being dropped it was Jim Jefferies swapping one excellent keeper for another excellent keeper. Dropping Walsh for Davison was replacing an excellent keeper with an adequate one. Jim Jefferies put out a similar line to that day at Newcastle when Matt Clarke was dropped. He's a good goalkeeper and a good professional and there was no problem. He's like anyone else and will be disappointed, but has to knuckle down and fight for his place. It happens to players, but I felt it was right to make a change."

Certainly Walsh's presence on the bench cost City two point which means Jim Jefferies cost City two points, something that is hard to defend when the manager is criticised. That Juanjo, a player that Jefferies is reported to have trailed ever since he arrived at VP, sat along side Walsh all game is also bizarre.

Man of the Match

Gary Locke

Pushed through from the midfield.

City Team:

Davison
Halle Molenaar Myers Jacobs
Jess McCall Locke Etherington
Tod Blake

Subs Not Used: Walsh, Atherton, Juanjo, Makel, Emanuel.

Replies

From: David Turner

I am sorry but I totally disagree with you with regards to your summation on the dropping of Gary Walsh. For the past number of games our defence has been weak, however Walshy has put up some dire performances, wonder if age is catching up. He has let numerous goals in at the near post because he goes to ground too early and as for the long range efforts he simply has not got into position for them, not to mention he does not command the area and cannot kick to save his life. In fact the defence may actually get better if they had some confidence in him. Lets get a better keeper and have Walsh as No 2.

I must agree that Davison is not as good as Walsh but it looked to me as though he needs some confidence and a kick up the backside he seemed to be getting too comfortable and thought he could not be dropped.