Crewe: Richards, Ng (c), Hunt, Nolan, Pickering, Wintle, Green (Jones, 70), Lowery, Powell (Dale, 89), Kirk, Porter
Unused Subs: Booth, Johnson, Finney, Ainley, Anene
Goals: Hunt (7), Powell (27), Porter (78), Ng (84)
Attendance: 4,521 (465 Crewe)
Crewe Alexandra produced a sizzling performance in Cumbria to win 4-2 at Brunton Park against Carlisle United.
Nicky Hunt & Daniel Powell both struck their first goals for the Club inside the opening half an hour to pave the way for the result, with Chris Porter & Perry Ng notching late on to secure the result.
Carlisle drew level at 2-2 with two goals in five minutes around the hour mark, but a charasmatic Crewe fought back to seal the victory.
David Artell made four changes from the side that drew with Exeter in League Two last weekend, opting to replace James Jones & Owen Dale with Daniel Powell & Paul Green, Whilst Dave Richards & Perry Ng came into the side for Will Jaaskelainen (International duty) & Olly Lancashire (injury).
From as soon as the teams entered the pitch, the Crewe fans didn’t stop singing – not even for a second. The players responded immediately to the vocal backing from the travelling faithful & immediately took the game to the Cumbrians.
That quick start paid immediate dividends when the Alex took the lead with just seven minutes on the clock. Tommy Lowery bent a superb free-kick into the box that caused havoc & hit a Carlisle defender & Nicky Hunt was lurking on the six-yard line to turn the ball home left-footed.
The fans kept up the singing, and the players kept up the pressure on the United goal. The Cumbrians had two sights of goal on the counter through Hallam Hope & Byron Webster, but Crewe controlled huge spells of possession throughout the half.
After Pickering had put a shot from the edge of the box wide, the lead was doubled through Powell in the 27th minute. Lowery played a slide ball in behind for Powell to run on to & he raced through and used the defender as a marker to thump an 18-yard shot across goal into the top corner that gave Adam Collin no chance.
Hallam Hope stuck out an instinctive foot to try to turn Jack Iredale’s wayward 33rd minute shot on goal as Carlisle desperately tried to gain a foothold in the game, but Crewe continued to press & probe heading in to half-time.
Crewe controlled the start to the second half as they did for the entirety of the first, stroking the ball around with confidence & controlling possession.
That all changed just shy of the hour mark. The Alex switched off for just a brief moment & substitute Stegan Scougall slid in left-back Jack Iredale. His first time low cross was met by Hallam Hope to convert from inside the six yard box to give the hosts a lifeline.
The goal shook the Cumbrians into action, and despite all of Crewe’s dominance, the scores were level just four minutes later. Right-Back Christie Elliott arrived late at the back post to meet a deep cross from the left & he steered his first timer with his instep low into the net under Richards.
In the blink of an eye Carlisle had drawn level at 2-2 and the scarcely deserved it.
But it’s been a characteristic of The Alex’s season so far to fight back from adversity, and so it proved to be the case again at Brunton Park. James Jones came off the bench and put a chance on a plate for Porter that the striker simply couldn’t miss. The inch perfect cross found the feet of the striker inside the six-yard box for the tap-in.
That ten minute blip in earlier in the second half was well and truly forgotten with six minutes remaining when Perry Ng’s cross found its way into the net to make the game safe at 4-2. His right-wing looper may well have found its way into the net via a Carlisle defender, but they all count & with it secured yet another win on the road!
Five wins, one draw & one defeat on their travels for the Alex now with a home contest with Swindon lying in store next weekend!