Game #3296
Wednesday, 9 October 1974
Attendance: 12,290
Drew
League Cup 3rd Round
3rd Round
Crewe Alexandra
WDWWD
Gresty Road
Villa are held at Gresty Road in the third round of the League Cup by fourth division side Crewe ahead of a Villa Park replay.
Crewe Alexandra
2-2
Aston Villa
Assists(s) | Sammy Morgan | 57' |
KEY MAN
RELATED MATCHES
MATCH TIMELINE
10’ Goal, 1-0, Sammy Morgan
Booking, Ian Ross for breaking from a defensive wall
HT Crewe Alexandra 0-1 Aston Villa
49’ Goal, 1-1, (Crewe Alexandra), Chris Duffey
57’ Goal, 2-1, Keith Leonard, Assist by Sammy Morgan
85’ Goal, 2-2, (Crewe Alexandra), Hughie Reed
86’ Sending off, (Crewe Alexandra), Dennis Nelson
FT Crewe Alexandra 2-2 Aston Villa
Cards.
Booking, Keith Leonard
Booking, Sammy Morgan
ON THIS DAY
Ron Saunders' Villa can only draw with Fourth Division side Crewe in the League Cup third round necessitating a Villa Park replay.
Aston Villa
Crewe Alexandra
League Champions: ❌
FA Cup Winners: ❌
League Cup Winners: ❌
Last Trophy: ❌
FIXTURE HISTORY
Previous 5 vs. Crewe: | - | - | - | - | 🟩 |
FIXTURE DETAILS
Season | 1974-75 |
Matchday | #14 |
Manager Game | #14 |
Wednesday, 9 October 1974
MATCH SUMMARY
Manager | Ron Saunders |
Referee | Peter Willis, County Durham |
FT Result | Drew |
FT Score | 2-2 |
Last 5 Games | WDWWD |
MATCH OFFICIALS
Referee: Peter Willis | 🏴 | County Durham, 1972-1986 🆘
Previous 5:
Last Match:
Cards: 🟥 🟨 🟨 🟨 🟨
CARDS
Villa
🟨 🟨 🟨
Crewe Alexandra
🟥 🟨
TEAM NEWS
John Robson, Chico Hamilton and Sammy Morgan return for Leighton Phillips, Tony Betts and Alan Little.
TEAM STATS
Starting XI Average Age
| 25.59 |
Oldest Player |
LB Charlie Aitken | 32.46 |
Youngest Player |
RB John Gidman | 20.76 |
MANAGER
Ron Saunders
MANAGER
Aston Villa
GK Jim Cumbes |
FB John Robson |
RB John Gidman |
CB Chris Nicholl |
CB Ian Ross |
LB Charlie Aitken |
M Chico Hamilton |
W Ray Graydon |
W Frank Carrodus |
F Keith Leonard |
F Sammy Morgan |
Crewe Alexandra
Crudgington (ex), Lowry, Snookes, Carter, Nicholls, Lugg, Kinsey, Riley, Nelson, Wain (Reed (g)), Duffey (g).
Manager: Jimmy Melia.
SUBSTITUTES
None
SUBSTITUTES
UNUSED SUBSTITUTES
M Alan Little |
UNUSED SUBSTITUTES
SQUAD STATS
MATCHDAY SQUAD
SQUAD STATS
MATCHDAY SQUAD
UNAVAILABLE
Injury | 4 |
M Pat McMahon, Ankle |
F Bobby Campbell |
M Leighton Phillips |
F Brian Little |
UNAVAILABLE
Not Recorded
Player Abbreviations:
GK : Goalkeeper
LB, RB, FB : Left Back, Right Back, Full Back
CB, D : Centre Back, Defender
M, W : Midfielder. Winger
F, CF : Forward, Centre Forward
🟢 : Debut 🔴 : Final Game
Symbols:
⚽ | Goal
🔥 | Assist
🔁 | Substitution
🟨 | Booking
🟥 | Sending off
🆘 | Poor refereeing performance
DEBUT APPEARANCES
FINAL APPEARANCES
MATCH STATS
Not recorded
TABLE
PROGRAMME



MATCHDAY QUOTES
*Birmingham Daily Post*
Thursday, 10 October 1974
Hughie Reed, the Scottish winger who started his career at West Bromwich Albion. earned his latest club a League Cup third round replay with five minutes remaining at Gresty Road last night.
Reed had come on as a substitute for Les Wain only ten minutes before and his low 20 yard shot ended a sweeping move.
The Fourth Division side, who beat Birmingham City in the last round will be at Villa Park next Monday.
It was an astonishing end to mediocre match.
A minute after the equaliser Dennis Nelson was sent off for fouling Chico Hamilton and then arguing about the decision and two minutes later Chris Duffey, Crewe’s other scorer, became the fifth player to be cautioned.
Earlier referee Peter Willis, a policeman from County Durham, booked lan Ross and Villa’s two scorers Sammy Morgan and Keith Leonard.
He also cautioned Crewe goalkeeper Geoff Crudgington, who used to play for Villa.
That’s five booked and one sent off - it sounds fascinating but it was mostly dull.
The football never matched the atmosphere generated by the 12,290 crowd and Mr. Willis was over-officious - he followed the League’s instructions, but far too closely.
Morgan, back after missing three matches with a stomach injury, opened the scoring after ten minutes when Crudgington could only block Ray Graydon’s shot.
The goalkeeper’s name was then taken for, of all things, hands. He caught Morgan’s chip when standing out of his area and Ross was booked for breaking too quickly from a defensive wall - both technical offences.
Then Morgan upset the referee by hooking Tommy Lowry’s feet away, and the centre forward had another long lecture just before halftime.
Crewe had pressed towards the end of the the first half but without suggesting that they could do anything inside the penalty area.
Four minutes after the interval they altered that impression.
Player-coach Albert Kinsey, whose skill had stood out throughout, crossed from the left and Duffey jumped high at the far post with Charlie Aitken but got his head to the ball with Jim Cumbes diving needlessly.
For eight minutes Crewe looked as if they might kill another giant but then Hamilton’s long pass up the left was picked up by Morgan.
He bustled past Phil Nicholls, tapped the ball inside and Leonard scored.
Crudgington complained that Morgan had fouled Nicholls but Villa were now in control although Leonard leant on Ray Lugg to get his caution.
Then came Crewe manager Jimmy Melia’s inspired substitution and the remarkable end.
Meanwhile, Villa manager Ron Saunders would not comment yesterday about Oldham’s action In reporting him to the FA for remarks made after Saturday’s match.
Saunders was quoted as calling Oldham’s Alan Groves a “high diver” after ViIIa full-back John Gidman had been sent off following two fouls on the winger.
When Groves was told of the substance of the remarks he confronted Saunders in the Lancashire club’s guest room and yesterday the Oldham general manager, Walter Griffiths, announced that “the board had decided to report the matter to the FA.”