First-half goals from James Jones, Jordan Bowery, Harry Pickering and Charlie Kirk gave Crewe Alexandra the victory at the One Call Stadium, despite a second-half come-back from hosts Mansfield Town yesterday afternoon.
Manager David Artell made 1 change from Monday`s home draw against Port Vale with Kirk, who got the late equaliser last week, coming in for Callum Ainley on the left of the midfield 4. Ainley dropped down to the bench where he was joined by the experienced Michael Raynes, Chris Porter and Chris Dagnall as well as Perry Ng, Harry McKirdy and goalkeeper Dave Richards.
The opening chance of the game occurred in the 7th minute as Shaun Miller found Jones whose shot from the edge of the area found the bottom corner of Conrad Logan`s goal before a second goal was added 3 minutes later as Paul Green`s pull-back was turned goalwards by Jones with Bowery scoring the follow-up after Logan`s save.
The lead was halved on 14 minutes with Lee Angol scoring at the second attempt from Kane Hemmings` cross following a save by Ben Garratt before Pickering added Crewe`s third 10 minutes later after Kirk`s through-ball found the young left-back who finished across Logan into the bottom corner. Jacob Mellis curled an effort just wide of the goal before Crewe`s forth of the game came in the 27th minute with Green`s cross controlled by Bowery into Kirk`s path with the winger finding the corner.
After a double change from the Stags at the break, it was substitute Ricky Miller who set up Hemmings to head home 5 minutes into the second period whilst the tide had shifted as fellow substitute Danny Rose headed wide from a Alex MacDonald cross before full-back Hayden White`s cross beat everyone and, in a rare chance for Crewe, Pickering had an effort cleared off the line.
Another sitter saw Bowery following Logan`s save from McKirdy with 20 minutes to go before Rose hit the bar a couple of minutes later with Ricky Miller halving the deficit with 13 to play, lobbing the ball over Garratt with Crewe hanging on despite even more late pressure.
Crewe`s next game sees a trip to Luton Town`s Kenilworth Road next Saturday.
Crewe: Garratt; Sterry (Ng 79), Ray ©, Nolan, Pickering; Jones, Wintle, Green, Kirk (Raynes 60); Miller (McKirdy 65), Bowery
Mansfield: Logan; White, Diamond (Pearce 31), Bennett, Hunt; Potter (Miller 46), Mellis, MacDonald, Hamilton; Hemmings, Angol (Rose 46)
