CREWE ALEX 2

(Clayton 80, Murphy 90)

ACCRINGTON STANLEY 0

POSSESSION

Crewe 54 per cent

Accrington 46 per cent

GOAL ATTEMPTS

Crewe 11 (4 on target)

Accrington 7 (2 on target)

CORNERS

Crewe 7

Accrington 7

THE REFEREE

Robert Madley (W Yorks) 5

FOULS

Crewe 5

Accrington 8

CARD WATCH

YELLOW – Crewe: Westwood 20 (dissent), Powell 39 (unsporting behaviour). Accrington: McIntyre 43 (foul on Powell). RED – Crewe: None. Accrington: None.

THE CROWD

Attendance 3,179

MATCH RATING

Entertainment 6

PHILLIPS: After the heat of last weekend, the goalkeeper had more worries fending off the chill as he had so little to do 6

CARL MARTIN: He defended solidly when he was called into action, but didn't get forward much 6

TOOTLE: A competitive display at left-back both with his defending and his attacking play 7

DAVIS: Looked calm and assured throughout the night 7

ARTELL: Another who was too strong for Stanley's lightweight attack 7

BELL: The returning midfielder was heavily involved in the midfield fray early on, but tired later 6

MURPHY: He capped a solid effort by getting into the box to net Crewe's second late on 7

WESTWOOD: Recovered after losing his focus in the first half and kept Crewe pushing forward 7

POWELL: Crewe's man-of-the-match. The teenager terrorised the Accrington defenders, particularly in the closing stages when he went close himself before setting up Murphy for the second 8

PEARSON: The loan striker threatened the goal on a couple of occasions and worked hard enough without suggesting he would make a breakthrough 7

MILLER: The out-of-sorts striker almost got in behind in the first half, but his wild first-time effort soon before his substitution summed up the frustrating times he is enduring 6

SUBSTITUTES

SHELLEY (for Bell, 60): Slotted into a wide role without fuss and put in a good shift for the final half-hour 7

CLAYTON (for Miller, 65): Broke the stalemate with a clinical finish 8

Not used: Turton, Mellor, Alan Martin.

ACCRINGTON: Dunbavin, Coid, McIntyre, Winnard, Nsiala, Joyce, Barnett (Hughes, 63), Murphy, Devitt, Lindfield (Evans, 63), Amond.

Not used: Smith, Willis, Murdoch.