- Railwaymen win final Group B game
- Allport and Evans on target
- Five debuts galore for young guns
Crewe Alexandra claimed victory over Newcastle United Under-21s in their final Bristol Street Motors Trophy game of the season.
Scholar Rhys Allport scored within two minutes of making his debut and Connor Evans, back from a loan at Chester, grabbed the winner late on.
James Hunter scored from the penalty spot for the visitors but the young Railwaymen got over the line to finish third in Group B.
Crewe’s participation in the competition is now at an end but boss Lee Bell will take plenty of positives from the evening’s work at Mornflake Stadium.
Bell named a young and inexperienced side and handed first starts to defenders Nathan Robinson and Zak Kempster-Down.
Scholars Lewis Nolan, Allport, Matthew Senior, Lucas Sant, Joe Collins, Stan Dancey and keeper Mikolej Lenarcik made up the subs’ bench.
Keeper Tom Booth had to be alert to push away Dylan Stephenson’s strike in the opening stages, while Robinson made an important block on 20 minutes.
Aaron Rowe cut in and curled wide, Calum Agius fired straight at keeper Aidan Harris, and Connor Evans looped a header onto the roof of the net as the hosts pressed.
Crewe made five substitutions at the break, with Nolan, Allport, Sant, Senior and Dancey entering the fray.
And a memorable moment arrived quickly for Allport when Crewe’s press forced a mistake from Harris and the youngster was on hand to steer into an empty net.
But on the hour-mark Senior was adjudged to have tripped his man in the area and Huntley equalised from the spot.
Good work involving Sant down the left created a chance for Agius but his effort was deflected for a corner as Crewe looked to hit back.
Evans hit the post on 66 minutes following good work from Nolan and Dancey, while Booth made an excellent reflex save to deny Josh Scott at the other end.
But Evans refused to be denied and he rattled into the top corner on the turn to edge the hosts ahead on 83 minutes.
And that proved the decisive moment as Bell’s men saw the game out.
Crewe (3-4-3): Booth; Billington, Kempster-Down, Robinson; Cooney, Colkett, Thomas, Finney; Rowe, Agius, Evans.
Subs not used: Lenarcik, Collins.
Booked: Evans.
Newcastle U21s (4-3-3): Harris; Shahar, Heffernan, Savage; Charlton, Carlyon, Scott; Neave Brayson, 68), Sanusi, Stephenson.
Subs not used: Brown, Mavididi, Milmore, Powell, Watts.
Booked: Heffernan.
Referee: S Tallis.
Attendance: 551 (61).