For the second time in three weeks, Graham Allner’s side found themselves three down before half-time. Michael Duff had just seen his effort cleared off the line by Efe Sodje, when Crewe’s latest up and coming star, Dean Ashton, opened the scoring at the other end and Allner will not be at all happy with his side’s defending. A free kick was awarded to Crewe just inside the Cheltenham half for a foul by Richard Forsyth. It was floated into the box by Kenny Lunt and Ashton lost his marker to beat Steve Book, making his 300th Cheltenham start, with the simplest of headers.
Cheltenham responded with some of their best moves of the match, but they were hit hard on the break by Crewe’s talented array of players, who added two before the break. First, Ashton turned provider, playing in David Vaughan, who had time to place his shot across Steve Book and into the far corner of the net. Barely two minutes later, Rodney Jack picked up the ball from David Brammer, ran through the Cheltenham defence and applied the perfect finish past a woefully exposed Steve Book.
Any hopes of Cheltenham fighting their way back into the match were dashed by the sending off of skipper Mike Duff, also making his 300th start for the club. Duff, booked early in the half, went in late on Dean Ashton after an hour and didn’t even wait for the referee to brandish his card, jogging immediately to the tunnel. Twelve minutes later, Howarth followed Duff into the changing room after a tug on the shirt of Dean Ashton denied the lively forward a clear goalscoring opportunity. Brammer stepped up to make it four from the penalty spot and leave Cheltenham with nothing to play for but pride.
Shane Duff made his Football League debut for the Robins, replacing Hugh McAuley after 75 minutes, but it was a forgettable afternoon for his side as they suffered their worst home league defeat for over ten years. Crewe were, quite simply, a class apart and the result leaves Cheltenham in deep relegation trouble. It also keeps the Railwaymen in contention for automatic promotion and a quick return to Division One where, on this evidence, they surely belong.