Alex edge out the Tangerines on a tough night at Bloomfield Road

FA Youth Cup First Round 2015/16

Blackpool 1-4 Crewe (AET)

Attendance: 392

Crewe: Harrison, Morgan, Neal, Finney, Dowsett, Quinn, Pickering (Dale, 35), Lowrey, Higham (Lundstram, 45), Ainley (Walley, 70), Kirk

Unused subs: Wilkinson, Hilton

Goals: Finney, 75, Kirk 93, 108, 119

Crewe Alexandra Under 18’s edged out a plucky Blackpool side to progress into the second round of the FA Youth Cup 4-1 thanks to a Charlie Kirk hat-trick in extra time.

Bright Osayi-Samuel, who is a regular for the Tangerines first team, gave the hosts a well deserved lead before half-time but a well-take Oli Finney goal 15 minutes from time took the contest to an extra half an hour.

The game was decided by a treble of opportunist Charlie Kirk efforts. First, he closed down the Blackpool keeper moments into extra time to rob him of possession and slide into an empty net before he tapped home on 108 minutes to seal a spot in the next round.

Kirk added gloss to the score-line by completing his hat-trick a minute from time after running onto a slide through-ball and rounding the keeper before sliding it home.

The hosts started the game the better and would’ve gone ahead on the 15 minute mark had it not been for the elasticity of Kieran Harrison. Blackpool midfielder Kit Gregory danced around two challenges before unleashing his effort that was tipped wide by the stopper.

Four minutes later and the Tangerines wasted a glorious opportunity, centre-half Sam Roscoe drifting his header wide of the near post from a floated free-kick when he should’ve at least hit the target.

Seasiders first-teamer Bright Osayi-Samuels carved a third good opportunity after 23 minutes, dancing in from the left touch-line before fizzing an effort over from an acute angle.

The hosts did make their pressure tell on 31 minutes and it was Osayi-Samuel who struck the blow. Caleb Richards turned the ball around the corner for him & the winger was blocked first of all, but gobbled up the second ball to fire into the top corner.

It was a double helping of bad news for Crewe, who had Harry Pickering stretchered off after he went down with an ankle problem in the build-up to the goal. Owen Dale came on in his place.

A poor defensive header by Tom Quinn gave Elliot Pond a great opportunity to extend The Tangerines’ lead heading into the break, but he couldn’t generate any power on his header & Harrison saved easily.

The second-period took a long time to get going, with the hosts content to sit on their advantage, Crewe’s first real chance of the game coming on 73 minutes when Charlie Kirk was sent through but his low shot was blocked away by the keepers legs.

Now building a bit of momentum, left-back Matty Neal came close moments late when he rifled one in on the angle that forced a save, and from that resulting 75th minute corner Crewe regained parity.

A neat short move found its way to Finney on 12-yards and he cushioned an effort into the far corner to put The Alex back in contention at 1-1
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Gregory almost won it in injury time for the hosts, striking the underside of the cross-bar with a peach of a direct free-kick but it ended level in normal time and raced into extra time.

The added period started perfectly for The Alex, Kirk closing down the keeper and nicking it off him to roll into an empty net and put Crewe 2-1 to the good.

Crewe made the game safe on 108 minutes with their best move of the night. Owen Dale raced down the right past his man and fired across the box for Kirk to tap in his second of the night before the winger completed his extra time hat-trick a minute from time after latching onto a slide through ball, rounding the keeper and sliding into an empty net to set-up another away tie with either Walsall or Coventry City.