Travis Johnson’s up-and-down afternoon an important part of the Crewe development process

Crewe’s 20-year-old right-back Travis Johnson scored a first-half own goal against Swindon, surrendering his side’s early lead and ultimately setting them up for defeat courtesy of Scott Twine’s late winner.

In what was just his sixth league start, the Crewe academy graduate stooped to head Dion Conroy’s cross past goalkeeper Dave Richards under next to no pressure from a Swindon attacker to level the score in the tenth minute

The anguish on the young defender’s face was visible, but his mistake by no means inhibited his performance for the rest of the afternoon, nor should it mean he isn’t the man to take the place of recently departed captain Perry Ng in the long-term.

“He (Johnson) was fine,” said Crewe manager David Artell after the game. “Other than the poor decision for their goal, you can’t defend that, but I’m not going to throw him under the bus.

“He stays on the pitch and he learns. I wish some of the others played as well as he did, or as mistake-free as he did bar the goal.”

It was surely no coincidence that Artell referenced the fact that Johnson will learn from his error. Crewe’s remarkably consistent production of EFL quality players through their academy would not have been possible without allowing young professionals to make mistakes in the first team and improve because of them.

Despite the own goal coming so early in the game, the Stoke-born full-back played with a level of composure and defensive awareness that suggested he had completely forgotten about what had happened, and that he had at least a couple of seasons of EFL football under his belt.

He doesn’t yet have the self-assured capacity to drive past opponents en route to goal as Ng had in scoring or assisting seven goals last season whilst winning promotion from League Two, but he was tidy in possession and rarely troubled by Swindon wing-back Dominic Thompson.

With the injured Billy Jones going back to Rotherham after romantically returning to Gresty Road in January as a short-term replacement for Ng, there are no obvious alternatives to Johns0n at right-back. This should provide ample playing time for him to develop and refine his game, and Artell’s track record of helping young players to thrive means he is in a fantastic environment to grow as a player.

Whilst Johnson’s error had the most direct impact on Crewe failing to secure just a third win in their last ten League One games, his more experienced team-mates were undeniably guilty of wasting a host of chances at the other end.

In the same way that Johnson was struck by a moment of naivety in levelling the scores, Crewe’s lack of cutting edge in the final third often portrayed a wide-eyed belief that more chances would come further down the line.

Mikael Mandron was the most obvious culprit, missing four presentable opportunities as the Swindon goal lived a charmed life throughout.

The rest of Mandron’s performance was good. He held the ball up well to link with the midfield players, was a handful for Swindon’s three centre-backs throughout and it was his run and pass that set up Tom Lowery to open the scoring in the fifth minute with a close-range finish.

However, the French striker had a well-placed header saved by Swindon debutant Jojo Woolacott moments after Lowery’s opener before spurning two glorious chances either side of half-time and then firing straight at Swindon’s loanee shortly before Twine won the game for John Sheridan’s side.

The late goal sparked jubilant celebrations in the home dugout as the Robins moved out of the relegation zone thanks to just their fifth win in Sheridan’s twenty league games in charge.

Swindon assistant manager Tommy Wright admitted after the game that visitors had been the better side despite losing and Artell was clearly frustrated at his side’s inability to take their chances.

“You couldn’t have complained if it had finished 4 or 5-1 (to Crewe), and in the end we lose 2-1. It just makes me sick really,” said the Crewe boss.

“We started well, scored early, but then we just gave them a goal. We’ve had three great chances in the second half and they have one and it goes in. It’s poor.”

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Whilst Crewe’s defeat makes a late-season Play-Off push all the more unlikely, their comfortable position in the table should provide ample opportunity for even more of their promising academy players to gain first-team minutes between now and the end of the season.

Ng was not the player that is currently taking brilliantly to the Championship for Mick McCarthy’s Cardiff when he made his first appearances for the Railwaymen in 2015. Harry Pickering, who once again impressed in Wiltshire with his ability to almost control the game from left-back was not the player who will be joining Blackburn in the summer when he made his professional bow in 2017.

Remaining loyal to the process of developing these players through their highs and lows is why Crewe’s academy is the envy of much of the football league.

Johnson showed more than enough in the remaining 80 minutes to suggest he would not allow a basic error to define his performance and there can be little doubt that he is at the right club and working under the right manager, to help him achieve his potential in the coming years.

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