Crewe Alexandra ended a run of five straight home games without a win with a hard fought 2-1 win over Burton Albion. Clayton Donaldson carried on from the weekend at Northampton with a stunning opener on 12 minutes and then Joel Grant tapped home a rebound off of the post five minutes later to put Crewe into a deserved first half lead.
In the second half, Crewe had to withstand some real pressure from the Football League's new boys with their best effort from Russell Penn thumping the Alex crossbar with Steve Phillips beaten. The Brewers continued to press looking for a lifeline and scored a late consolation goal through their substitute Richard Walker.
John Brayford returned to the Crewe Alexandra starting line-up after a recent shoulder injury to face his former club. The right-back's inclusion and Steven Schumacher's groin injury resulted in a change around in the Crewe Alexandra starting XI with Matt Tootle switching to left-back and the versatile Ashley Westwood partnering Simon Walton in the centre of midfield.
Burton had the former Crewe Academy youngster Ryan Austin in their back four.
Despite the wind and the rain, Crewe made a bright start to the game with Grant shooting across the Burton goalkeeper Artur Krysiak within the opening 60 seconds. It was an encouraging trend that continued with Burton's captain Guy Branston just about stopping Calvin Zola in his tracks. The goalkeeper then did well to tip over a superb effort from young Westwood.
It didn't take Crewe too long to open the scoring. Danny O'Donnell brought the ball out of the defence to find Donaldson and after creating enough space he executed a fantastic curling shot that arrowed into the top corner. It was his second goal of the campaign, following on from his opening goal at the weekend at Northampton.
The visitors were finding it difficult to contain the pace of Donaldson and the height of Zola. The new partnership was combing well and just three minutes later, there was a loud appeal for a penalty when Zola went down on the 'edge' of the penalty area. It looked awfully close to being inside. Westwood blasted the resultant free-kick into the wall.
Crewe doubled their lead after just 17 minutes, Brayford played the ball forward and after Donaldson had picked Branston's pocket close to the by-line, he sent Zola through on goal. The striker drew Krysiak close before lifting his shot over the grounded Burton goalkeeper and he was rather unfortunate to see his effort hit the post. Grant had followed it up to tap home his 5th of the season.
The comfort of the second goal had Crewe playing some of their best football of the season. Tootle impressed again going forward, and Westwood, in his new midfield role certainly put a shift in. Westwood, who was on free-kicks, floated one in for Zola, but the towering striker couldn't quite control his volley.
With Crewe looking for a killer third, Donaldson shot straight at Krysiak and Zola shot wide after a defensive mix-up by the Burton centre-backs on the edge of their own penalty area.
The impressive Westwood, still looking for his first goal at senior goal for the club, had a great shot tipped over by Krysiak after some superb build up play from Zola and a sublime touch on by Murphy.
After the half-an-hour mark, Burton began to finally get a foothold in the game and show their credentials as an attacking force. John McGrath had a well-struck free kick deflected behind Phillips' goal by one of his own players and then the same player curled one just wide.
Burton enjoyed some extensive pressure towards the end of the first half, forcing a succession of corners, but not really creating that one chance that would have made a major difference going into the half-time break. A late chance via another free-kick saw Webster shoot harmlessly into the Crewe wall.
Crewe had to avoid a repeat of the Northampton game and it must have played on their minds as they made their way out for the second half. Crewe had been equally impressive in the first half on Saturday, but had surrendered a 2-0 lead and had to settle for a point. There was a determination not to let that happen again.
To their credit though, Burton went for it. They made a double substitution at the break with Jacques Maghoma and Greg Pearson coming on for Jimmy Phillips and Kieran Cadogan. They added an extra body into the midfield and it made a difference to them.
Grant nearly killed the game off in the opening 25 seconds, but he just couldn't quite reach Donaldson cross-come-shot. That would have ended the game as a contest but credit to Burton, who certainly gave it a good go in the second half.
Aaron Webster was booked though for one far too many awkward tackles on the lively Donaldson but the chances began to arrive.
On 65 minutes, a swift counter-attack from a Crewe corner, saw Penn smash the underside of the Alex crossbar, with Phillips beaten. It was a wonderful effort that probably deserved better. Moments later and sub Maghoma shot into the mid-drift of Phillips. The anxiety began to return to Crewe's game and we never repeated the fluency of the first 45 minutes.
That is not to say we didn't create enough openings to seal the points. Grant couldn't convert a low cross from Zola and Donaldson wasted a good opportunity by slicing a shot wide of the target.
Burton continued to press looking for that goal that would have made for a nervy ending to the game. Pearson headed a cross from Michael Simpson just wide before another of their substitute's Richard Walker (who replaced Shaun Harrad) shot on sight. One late effort just cleared Phillips' far post via a slight deflection off of Brayford and he drew another decent save from Phillips.
Dario Gradi elected to make a change of his own, replacing the tiring Grant with the fresh legs of Bryon Moore out on the left wing.
With Crewe defending their box, a late chance saw Pearson denied again by the reactions of Phillips, before the ball was smuggled away from the line by Westwood.
Burton finally got the goal their second half effort deserved when Walker rose highest to head home a Simpson free-kick. In the race to claim the ball, Crewe's goalkeeper Steve Phillips was booked for a push and a shove. The game ended with handbags at five paces but more importantly Crewe had three much needed points.
