DARIO Gradi saluted the very young Crewe side which offered hope for the new year and for incoming manager Gudjon Thordarson with a stunning 4-1 win at Hartlepool.

The Alex caretaker boss was forced to include youth team defender Danny Shelley and teenage midfielder Luke Murphy in the starting eleven at Victoria Park.

And Murphy fired in a super third goal on the hour to mark his first senior start for the club.

That made it 3-1 after John Brayford opened the scoring just before the interval, and Pools defender Michael Nelson put through his own net after team-mate Joel Porter had levelled.

Shaun Miller's late fourth sealed an emphatic win in what was Gradi's last game in charge before handing over next week to the Icelandic manager.

"We had 11 players injured, six of whom would have been in the starting eleven, but the young boys have gone in and done very well," said Gradi.

"We had to call Danny off his Christmas holiday to come in and fill in for us. He has been excellent in the youth team this season."