- Big three points for The Railwaymen
- First career strike for Finnigan
- Ainley hits first goal of the season
First-half goals from Callum Ainley and Ryan Finnigan inspired Crewe Alexandra to three points when Hartlepool United visited on Tuesday.
The visitors were rocked early on when Jamie Sterry was shown a straight red card for a foul on Rio Adebisi.
Ainley struck his first of the season on 30 minutes thanks to a clinical strike, and Finnigan’s first career goal made it 2-0 before the interval.
The second-half was attritional, as the visitors closed the space and stayed in the game.
But the victory means Crewe have moved up to 17th in League Two.
Lee Bell made three changes to the side that drew at Crawley last time out, but stuck with the 3-5-2 system they finished the game with.
Homegrown trio Rio Adebisi, Connor O’Riordan and Joel Tabiner were recalled, while Bassala Sambou and Tariq Uwakwe, while Sean Robertson served a one-match suspension.
Hartlepool started with former Alex man Oliver Finney in midfield, as they looked to make it three games unbeaten.
After a steady start to proceedings, the game took on a different complexion on 13 minutes when Sterry was shown a straight red card for a foul on Adebisi.
Elliott Nevitt screwed a shot wide from a promising position shortly after, but United provided a reminder that they would stay on the front foot when Finney volleyed just over at the other end.
The deadlock was broken on the half-hour mark when Dan Agyei broke down the left and forced the ball, under pressure, across the goal. Nevitt kept it alive and Ainley was on hand to ram home from eight yards.
On 39 minutes it was 2-0 after Tabiner’s free-kick was only half-cleared and Finnigan controlled on his chest before lashing a volley powerfully home.
Pools boss Keith Curle made three more changes at the break, as he looked to inspire a fightback from his side.
On 53 minutes Adebisi fed Agyei into space but the striker’s left-footed strike was only good enough to find the near side-netting.
Adebisi headed just wide from close range after a superb Ainley cross, and then the full-back sent sub Lachlan Brook onto goal but he was snuffed out as he shaped to pull the trigger.
Tabiner swirled an effort over, and Brook saw a deflected strike go just wide, as the Alex looked to twist the knife in the final 10 minutes.
Crewe (3-5-2): Richards; O’Riordan, Offord, McDonald; Adebisi; Finnigan, Thomas, Ainley (Sambou, 66), Tabiner (Uwakwe, 90); Agyei (Brook, 60), Nevitt.
Subs not used: Beadle, Sass-Davies, Holicek, Griffiths.
Booked: None.
Hartlepool (5-3-2): Stolarczyk; Dodds, Foran, Pruti; Sterry, Kemp (Grey, 83), Featherstone (Niang, 46), Finney (Jennings, 46), Ferguson; Umerah (Kiernan, 46), Harrison (Sylla, 15).
Subs not used: Killip, Dolan.
Booked: Jennings, Niang
Sent off: Sterry.
Referee: N Hair.
Attendance: 3,110 (107).