Chris Long’s late goal proved just a consolation as Portsmouth ran out 3-1 winners at Mornflake Stadium on Tuesday. The visitors, roared on by 1100 travelling fans, established a 2-0 half-time lead thanks to George Hirst and Tyler Walker. And Hirst’s second on 66 minutes put Pompey in total charge.
The Alex kept battling and got their reward through Long, but it wasn’t enough.
Portsmouth hit the front on five minutes when the ball was lost in midfield and worked to the wing where Conor Ogiluie crossed for Hirst to leap and flick a header home. Long raced onto a Travis Johnson ball and saw a shot blocked for a corner as the hosts tried to respond.
On 13 minutes keeper Dave Richards parried a Ronan Curtis free kick and then held Walker’s follow-up shot as he lay on the floor.
On 26 minutes Tom Lowery floated a dangerous free kick in for Chris Porter to meet but his header was straight at keeper Gavin Bazunu.
Porter curled an effort over from the edge of the box soon after, but on 31 minutes it was 2-0 after the ball broke to Walker for a tap in following a scramble in the Alex box. Josh Lundstram couldn’t make contact with a good Johnson cross as Crewe pressed to half the deficit.
But Portsmouth twice went close to getting another before the break. First, Curtis dragged a strike just wide of the near post just before the break, before Richards dived bravely at the feet of Louis Thompson to prevent him from sliding the ball home.
David Artell made a double substitution at the break, bringing on Rekeem Harper and Zak Williams for Regan Griffiths and Johnson, who had been injured towards the end of the first half.
Murphy and Harper had shots blocked in a swift Crewe attack while on 55 minutes Richards made a great save from Ogiluie at the other end. The Alex keeper showed smart reflexes to deny Walker from close range shortly afterwards, as the visitors looked to kill the game off.
It was 3-0 on 65 minutes when, following another good Richards save, Ogiluie was given room to cross and Leicester loan man Hirst’s downwards header bounced up into the roof of the net. Callum Ainley replaced Dan Agyei and the game entered somewhat of a lull, with Pompey in command.
As the clash entered the final 10 minutes a swirling effort from Lundstram had to be tipped for a corner by Bazuna, but the flag kick came to nothing. Connor O’Riordan rattled the bar from close range after a scramble in the Portsmouth box following a corner as Crewe applied pressure.
Long grabbed a late goal, his seventh of the campaign, when his angled effort squeezed through Bazuna’s legs as the game entered injury time.