First-Half Goals Sees Distance Increase To Bottom Three

First-half goals from Callum Ainley and Southampton loanee Ryan Finnigan saw Crewe Alexandra defeat 10-man Hartlepool United at the Alexandra Stadium last night as former Alex loanee Jamie Sterry was shown a straight red card in the opening 15 minutes.

Manager Lee Bell made three changes from Saturday’s 2-2 draw at Crawley Town with defenders Connor O’Riordan and Rio Adebisi as well as midfielder Joel Tabiner came in for Bassala Sambou and Tariq Uwakwe, who both dropped down to the bench, as well as the suspended Sean Robertson. Sterry wasn’t the only former Alex player for the visitors as Oli Finney started in midfield for Pool.

The opening chance fell to the visitors in the 7th minute with Dan Kemp’s free-kick from the edge of the area hitting the side-netting before Sterry was shown his marching orders by referee Neil Hair for a raised foot on Adebisi 6 minutes later. The hosts would take advantage of the extra man by taking the lead just after the half-hour as Dan Agyei’s pull-back would find the unmarked Ainley who finished from 8 yards out before the lead was doubled 6 minutes from the break as a Tabiner free-kick was cleared out to Finnigan who controlled with his chest then fired a volley past the keeper from the edge of the area.

The second half saw Agyei hit the side-netting from an Adebisi through-ball before the left wing-back would head wide from an Ainley cross with his attention taken by not heading the post on the hour-mark.

The next games for the Alex see them travel to Harrogate Town on Saturday before a trip to Walsall next Tuesday.

What can we take out of this game?

Good enough result against a team that we couldn’t afford to lose against, something that got easier with the red card.

First half was one where we took advantage by stretching the play with Adebisi and Tabiner hugging the touchline (Tabs receiving the ball more in this half) while the play was on the opposite side before arriving late to get involved a little more.

Second half saw that switch to attacking down the Alex left through Adebisi and the supporting Luke Offord on the left of the back 3.

Crewe Alexandra				Hartlepool United
Ainley, Finnigan
Richards				Stolarczyk
O'Riordan				Dodds
McDonald				Foran
Offord				Pruti
Tabiner			90	Sterry
Thomas				Finney			46
Finnigan				Featherstone			46
Adebisi				Ferguson
Ainley			66	Kemp			83
Agyei			60	Hamilton			15
Nevitt				Umerah			46
Substitutes
Beadle				Killip
Griffiths				Niang			46
Brook			60	Grey			83
Sambou			66	Dolan
Uwakwe			90	Sylla			15
Sass-Davies				Jennings			46
Tabiner				Kiernan			46

Game Statistics
13	Goal attempts	11
2	On Target	2
4	Corners	3
7	Fouls	12
0	Yellow Cards	2
0	Red Cards	1
61	%	39