Goals from Chris Porter, Charlie Kirk and Ryan Wintle saw Crewe Alexandra defeat Stevenage at the Alexandra Stadium yesterday afternoon, despite a late goal from Charlie Carter, that saw the Alex move to the top of the league with 9 games left to play. This victory would be the 8th home win in a row which would be the first time that we have got to that run since the 1937/38 season (we would win the final 10 home games in that season).
Manager David Artell made 2 changes from Tuesday’s 1-1 draw at Exeter City with Kirk and Callum Ainley coming into the team for Stephen Walker and Paul Green respectively. Both of those dropped down to the bench while Owen Dale replaced Tom Lowery on the bench. Former Alex defender Ben Nugent would start for the visitors.
The Alex started on the front foot with Ainley then Powell testing Paul Farman in the visitors’ goal inside the opening 5 minutes before they took the lead on the quarter-hour mark with James Jones’ left-wing cross headed home off the post by Porter. He could have had a second a minute later but for hitting the bar and a linesman’s flag.
More chances came in the first-half with Kirk denied by Farman before he would almost turn provider for Daniel Powell who couldn’t hit the target from a narrow-angle.
Into the second half where Kirk was again foiled again by Farman before the second goal would come on 64 minutes. After playing a one-two with Wintle, it was Kirk who finished into the bottom corner before a third was added 3 minutes later with Wintle’s 25-yard effort taking a massive deflection over Farman. Carter would get one back for the visitors in the final minute with a strike from the edge of the area but it was far too little too late.
Our next two games see a couple of away games, first at Mansfield Town next Saturday then the long trip to Colchester United the following Tuesday.
What can we learn from this game?
It was the kind of game that we needed following a tough game at Exeter in midweek but it was a case of doing enough to beat a side that have struggled this season, having had more managers this season than league wins (4 to 3), where we weren’t at our fluent best.
Yes, we could and should have been out of sight after the first half, but we’ll need to be better at Mansfield next week.
Alexandra Stadium
League 2
7/03/2020 3:00 pm
Attendance: 4263
Referee: Andy Haines
Crewe Alexandra | Stevenage | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Porter, Kirk, Wintle | Carter | ||||||
Jaaskelainen | Farman | ||||||
Ng | Wildin | ||||||
Nottingham | Digby | ||||||
Offord | Nugent | ||||||
Pickering | Leesley | ||||||
Jones | 78 | Carter | |||||
Wintle | Parrett | 59 | |||||
Ainley | Lakin | ||||||
Powell | List | 71 | |||||
Porter | 80 | Cassidy | 37 | ||||
Kirk | 77 | Kemp | |||||
Substitutes |
|||||||
Richards | Bastien | ||||||
Green | Soares | ||||||
Finney | 78 | Kennedy | |||||
Hunt | Sonupe | ||||||
Anene | 80 | Carroll | |||||
Dale | 77 | Denton | |||||
Walker | Mackail-Smith |
Game Statistics |
||
17 | Goal attempts | 10 |
9 | On Target | 2 |
9 | Corners | 1 |
3 | Fouls | 10 |
0 | Yellow Cards | 2 |
0 | Red Cards | 0 |
64 | % | 36 |