Crewe Alexandra made a strong start to their pre-season schedule with a 5-0 victory at Halesowen Town.
Goals from Christopher Long, Courtney Baker-Richardson, Zac Williams, Max Woodcock, and Owen Lunt, saw The Railwaymen ease to success at The Grove.
Manager Lee Bell fielded a different 11 in each half to make sure every player got a good workout, and new signings Harvey Davies, Ryan Cooney, Shilow Tracey, and Jack Powell all featured.
Crewe controlled the ball in the early stages, but Halesowen had the first half-chance of the game with Miracle Okafor being played through. Liverpool loanee Davies was calm to sweep the ball from danger.
Rio Adebisi then lofted a ball to Long who superbly nutmegged the right-back and fired a shot which was parried to Nevitt, but the Halesowen keeper was quick to react and made a brilliant save.
Matus Holicek almost created the first goal with a cute turn and cross from the byline, but Nevitt was unable to finish. Crewe did find the back of the net not long after, but Rio Adebisi’s low effort was ruled offside.
Minutes later, however, The Railwaymen were ahead. Long took an aerial ball on the half-turn and curled an effort into the top corner that beat the outstretched arm of the home keeper.
Regan Griffiths hit one over the bar after a well-worked Alex move, and Charlie Colkett saw a shot saved as Crewe bossed it.
Early in the second half, Tracey showed his blistering pace with a 60-yard run down the right, but his cross failed to find a red shirt.
But it was 2-0 after a mix-up in the Halesowen defence allowed Baker-Richardson a simple tap-in.
Crewe then turned on the style and added a third when Joel Tabiner’s reverse pass found Woodcock, who coolly finished on the rebound.
A fourth arrived when Tracey pressed a Halesowen defender and managed to divert the ball to Lunt, who made no mistake.
The scoring was completed when Tabiner’s low cross found Williams for a simple finish at the back post.
Crewe: Davies (Booth, 45 mins); Billington (Cooney, 45 mins); O’Riordan (Sass-Davies, 45 mins); Offord (Williams, 45 mins); Adebisi (Finney, 45 mins); Griffiths (Powell, 45 mins); Colkett (Lunt, 45 mins); Holicek (Tabiner, 45 mins); Evans (Tracey, 45 mins); Nevitt (Baker-Richardson, 45 mins); Long (Woodcock, 45 mins).
Attendance: 927.
