- Goals from Demetriou and Long earn win
- Railwaymen rise to fourth place in league
- Bell’s men unbeaten at home in 14 games
Crewe Alexandra made it four home league wins on the spin with a 2-0 triumph over Tranmere Rovers.
Goals from Mickey Demetriou and Christopher Long earned three points and lifted The Railwaymen to fourth in League Two.
Tranmere finished the game with nine men after keeper Luke McGee and captain Tom Davies saw red, but they were well second best on the day.
The success has extended Crewe’s unbeaten home league run to 14 games, and earned a second clean sheet of the campaign.
Boss Lee Bell had initially made two changes to the side that lost to Salford in the league – but was forced into a third just before kick-off.
Connor O’Riordan and Matus Holicek were unavailable due to international duty and were replaced by fit-again Christopher Long and Joe White.
But when Zac Williams pulled up in the warm-up he was replaced by Ryan Cooney, as the Alex reverted to a 4-2-3-1 system.
Tranmere, who left ex-Alex man Brad Walker on the bench, came under pressure early on but Long fired off target and a Rio Adebisi strike was blocked.
McGee was equal to a Shilow Tracey effort from an angle, but he could do nothing about the opener on 11 minutes.
Jack Powell’s free-kick delivery from the right was perfect and Demetriou rose unmarked to plant his fifth of the season firmly into the net.
On 18 minutes magnificent wing play by Tracey forged a great chance for White but the loan star lifted his shot over from close range.
Keeper Harvey Davies got down to his right to make a superb save from Kieron Morris who had sent the ball skidding toward the bottom corner.
Crewe had forced six corners before the half-hour mark but couldn’t quite make any of them pay, and the visitors started to grow in strength.
However, they were unable to ask any substantial questions of Davies, and the Alex took their slender lead into the interval.
Tracey darted down the right and cut back for Courtney Baker-Richardson who saw a shot blocked, as the Alex tried to get on top immediately after the restart.
On 48 minutes the visitors were reduced to 10 men when McGee raced from his goal to deny Baker-Richardson collecting the ball, but then handled well outside his box when Long tried to chip the ball into an unguarded net.
And Long twisted the knife when he smashed home from the resultant free-kick, as well-worked routine created space and angle for his seventh of the campaign.
On 67 minutes a long-range strike from Connor Jennings clipped the top of the bar and reminded Crewe they were still in a game.
On 75 Baker-Richardson broke down the left and squared for Aaron Rowe but the sub’s side-footer was high and wide.
Joel Tabiner’s curler was pushed for a corner by Murphy who, at 42, had become the seventh oldest player in League Two history.
Rovers tried to capitalise as the hosts got sloppy in their play. Baker-Richardson headed a Jennings header off the line.
Davies held a Kristian Dennis header and Harvey Saunders rattled the bar with another, as the home side waited for the final whistle in injury time, which stretched to 13 minutes due to a stoppage in play.
Tranmere finished the game with nine men when skipper Davies picked up a second yellow card.
Crewe (4-3-3): Davies; Williams, Offord, Demetriou, Adebisi (Finney, 67); Powell, Tabiner; White (Rowe, 71), Long (Nevitt, 71), Tracey (Lunt, 90+1), Baker-Richardson.
Subs not used: Booth, Colkett, Billington.
Booked: Davies, Tracey
Tranmere (4-3-3: McGee; O’Connor, Davies, Yarney, Wood; Jennings, Hendry, Morris (Murphy, 50); Saunders, Jolley (Dennis, 67), Hawkes (Apter, 85).
Subs not used: Walker, Taylor, Belehouan, Starbuck.
Booked: Hendry, Davies
Sent off: McGee, Davies.
Referee: R Joyce.
Attendance: 5,826 (1,193).