- Rovers take first blood in Semi-Final
- Adebisi and Long go closest for Alex
- Railwaymen face a fight back
Crewe Alexandra will have to fight back from behind after losing the League Two Play-Off Semi-Final first leg to Doncaster Rovers.
The Yorkshire outfit will have a two-goal lead in the second leg after taking victory at Mornflake Stadium.
Goals from Luke Molyneux and Harrison Biggins have given the Doncaster the advantage.
But it is still all to play for with another 90 minutes of football still to go at Eco-Power Stadium on Friday (8pm).
And Crewe can take encouragement from the number of chances they created, with Adebisi and Long going close.
Manager Lee Bell made one change to the side that drew with Colchester last time out, with Josh Austerfield replacing Christopher Long.
Doncaster named ex-Alex loan man Jamie Sterry in the starting line-up, while Billy Waters was on the bench.
Superb defending from Lewis Billington kept the scores level early on. He dived in with his head to block Hakeeb Adelakun’s shot when he looked poised to score.
On six minutes Mickey Demetriou’s long throw found Adebisi six yards out but his header was held by keeper Thimothee Lo-Tutala.
Ryan Cooney saw a powerful drive blocked, and Shilow Tracey broke through but couldn’t find Elliott Nevitt, as the Alex pressed.
Doncaster hit the front on 34 minutes when Matthew Craig got to the byline and Molyneux was on hand to tuck away the cross.
Matus Holicek cut inside and fizzed an effort over the bar from range while, at the other end, Biggins clipped the bar from an angle.
Rovers made an ideal start to the second half when Joe Ironside got behind the Crewe defence and found Biggins who made no mistake.
Owen Bailey had a strike saved by keeper Max Stryjek, while Lo-Tutala tipped over from Adebisi’s long punt that looped in.
On 81 minutes Zac Williams met a corner with a powerful header and sub Long flicked it, but it went inches over the bar.
On 87 minutes Molyneux burst into a good position and forced Stryjek to punch over the bar.
The Alex huffed and puffed and battled right to the end but could not find a goal back.
Crewe (3-5-2): Stryjek; Billington, Demetriou, Williams; Cooney (Thomas, 56), Austerfield (Baker-Richardson, 56), Holicek, Tabiner (Long, 68), Adebisi; Nevitt, Tracey (Rowe, 84).
Subs not used: Lenarcik, Turns, Kirk.
Booked: Demetriou.
Doncaster (4-2-3-1): Lo-Tutala; Maxwell, Wood, Anderson, Sterry; Craig (Broadbent, 84), Bailey; Adelakun (Hurst, 75), Biggins (Rowe, 50), Molyneux; Ironside.
Subs not used: Rowe, Jones, Olowu, Waters.
Booked: None.
Referee: S Gill.
Attendance: 8,220.
