Match Report: Swindon Town 0-0 Crewe Alexandra

Swindon braved an hour's worth of fog-related interruption to record their first clean sheet in 20 games

The Robins came into the contest looking for four consecutive home victories. In their way stood a Crewe Alexandra team who sat 20 places above their hosts in the standings. 

In terms of team news, the big story was the fact that Tom Nichols, who only signed on Friday, started up top for Swindon.

The only 3pm Football League kick off, due to freezing temperatures, was brought to a halt after just three minutes. A thick fog, which had been building around The County Ground, finally engulfed the playing surface. This forced referee Lee Swabey to take the players off the pitch. After half an hour, Swabey returned to the pitch to determine that the game would continue at 4pm.

In all honesty the conditions were only marginally better than those of an hour ago. It meant that the majority of the first half became a difficult watch as both fans and players tried to pick their way through the thick fog.

With 10 minutes played the first notable effort on goal came through the right foot of Matus Holicek. After Omar Bogle drove into the box, Holicek pounced on a loose ball to open up his body and fire wide of the far post. 

Overall, the weather and the interruptions really did ruin the opening exchanges with the game proving an incredibly scrappy affair.

Swindon’s first sight of goal came just shy of the 19th minute mark. Midfielder, Nnamdi Ofoborh forced Filip Marschall into a low save from the edge of the box, it was tipped as far as Aaron Drinan who then poked a shot wide from close range.

With the darkness growing and the fog remaining, Ollie Clarke caught everyone by surprise in the 30th minute, when he hit the post from 21 yards thanks to a powerful right-footed drive.

The most sizeable opening of the half came in the very dying seconds, when Gavin Kilkenny did brilliantly to dance to the byline and flash a ball across the face of goal, which Harry Smith came just a toe away from converting as the chance went begging.

The second half kicked off with conditions having surprisingly improved, the next step was for the quality on the pitch to follow. Debutant Tom Nichols almost enjoyed the perfect start to his Town career when only Marschall stood between him opening the scoring. But it certainly sparked a much more improved showing for Town as they stole the early ascendancy.

Unfortunately, Town failed to immediately capitalise with the pattern of the game reverting to that of the first half. They came close with 20 minutes remaining when Will Wright’s free kick to the front post was just flicked over by the head of Harry Smith.

They came close again, in the 80th minute, with a Wright free kick, which was placed right into the corridor of uncertainty, but eventually beat everybody for a goal kick. Crewe then had their opportunity to win it when substitute Chris Long broke free to charge towards goal, only to be denied by Bycroft, who spread himself excellently, one against one.

Aaron Drinan was withdrawn in the 90th minute for Danny Butterworth, but prior to that he nearly broke through the Crewe defence only to add too much loft to his shot with the goal gaping.

But it finished a stalemate in a battling performance from both teams. It was a low-quality affair which was no doubt impacted by the conditions. 

Nonetheless, Town will be pleased to take a point against their highflying visitors, in a contest which they certainly matched them.