Match Report: Notts County 2, Crewe 0

By nirwin

NOTTS COUNTY 2 (Rodgers 28, Westcarr 66) CREWE 0

Gwyn Griffiths reports from Meadow Lane

CREWE sunk to their seventh defeat in eight when they were brushed aside by big-spending Notts County.

Former Alex favourite Luke Rodgers collected his fifth goal of the campaign to edge Notts ahead just before the half-hour mark.

Then Craig Westcarr fired in a second midway through the second period for the managerless side and Crewe's misery was completed when Steve Schumacher had his late penalty saved by Kasper Schmeichel.

Dario Gradi sprang a surprise by reintroducing Clayton Donaldson to his starting eleven up front. The former Hibernian man broke his leg at Bournemouth as recently as August 29 and was not expected to be ready for a first team return so soon.

But with Calvin Zola ruled out with a sore groin, the Alex caretaker boss had kept his attacking alternative under wraps during the week.

Despite scoring in last weekend's home defeat at the hands of Port Vale, Shaun Miller made way to accommodate Shaun Murphy in midfield and Joel Grant was moved up to partner Donaldson.

The duo threatened on more than one occasion during an absorbing first-half at Meadow Lane.

But The Alex were largely on the backfoot with Rodgers and old-time nemesis Lee Hughes causing plenty of problems up top.

And County were out of the traps at a furious pace with Hughes heavily involved in some early pressure, which culminated in Matt Ritchie failing to get a shot away.

Yet it was Donaldson who fired the first effort in when he cut in from the left and drove across the face of Schmeichel's goal-mouth.

Then Westwood wafted ambitiously from 25 yards well wide of the keeper's far post.

Crewe were more than a match for their opponents early on, but were very fortunate to stay on terms in the 18th minute when Westwood took evasive action to clear a close-range Hughes effort off the goal-line.

Westcarr's follow-up, an angled drive from right of goal, crashed the underside of the bar and then Ritchie's shot-cum-cross arced a yard over.

But there was to be no reprieve when Johnnie Jackson's intelligent ball slid Rodgers in down an inside left channel. The well-travelled striker had enough room to pick out the top right-hand corner with a well-struck rising drive to edge Notts ahead in the 28th minute.

Rodgers was soon blotting his copybook minutes later when he was rightly booked for elbowing Schumacher in the face.

But the goal had been the fillip the home side needed and they mounted more attacks with Ritchie and left-back Daniel Jones pumping the ball across the box to force desperate clearances.

When Rodgers skipped clear he flicked the ball inside to set up Ben Davies, but the midfielder dragged a tame effort well wide.

But Crewe could have been level at the break as they cut through some hesitant defending twice.

First Grant profited from Jackson's failure to intercept Murphy's pass and tore through on goal. But Schmeichel came off his line quickly and made a daring block.

Then Mike Edwards made a last-ditch tackle to rob John Brayford after the right back had surged clear inside the box.

And Crewe continued their resurgence shortly after the restart when James Bailey slipped Grant in on the left, but Schmeichel was again equal to the task palming the striker's powerful left-footer over the bar.

At the other end, Rodgers was clearly standing in an offside position when he turned Hughes's volley home at the far post minutes later.

Schmeichel fielded a deflected drive from Schumacher after a promising spell of pressure from the visitors.

But Ritchie always seemed to be involved for Notts and when he was put clear on the left his cross would have been polished off by Hughes had Pat Ada not intervened to put the ball behind.

Then Hughes slipped past Mat Mitchel-King rather too easily, but drove, past the far corner.

Dave Button did well to palm out a deflected shot-cum-cross from Rodgers as County sought a second.

And it duly arrived in the 66nd minute when Westcarr gave a clutch of red shirts the slip just over the halfway line and ran clear to fire into the bottom corner from 20 yards.

Byron Moore was thrust on for the tiring Donaldson with 20 minutes left

And at the same time Notts changed their attack by replacing Hughes and Rodgers with Ade Akinbiyi and Karl Hawley.

Miller was also on up front by the time Crewe were offered a route back into the game. Grant was pushed in the back by John Thompson as he stretched to reach Moore's cross and referee James Linnington had no hesitation pointing to the spot.

But Schmeichel guessed right by diving to his right to beat out Schumacher's 77th-minute penalty.

Ritchie could have added a third, but chose to switch to his left foot wide right of goal and Button had time to throw himself across to make the save.

Then Schmeichel again showed his worth to cap a fine individual performance when he palmed out a Miller effort in stoppage tie after the Alex striker executed a neat turn inside the box.

TEAMS

Notts Co: Schmeichel, Thompson, Daniel Jones, Edwards, Lee, Westcarr, Davies, Jackson (Bishop, 81), Ritchie, Hughes (Akinbiyi, 70), Rodgers (Hawley, 70).

Subs: Ravenhill, Hamshaw, Clapham, Hoult.

Crewe: Button, Brayford, Westwood, Mitchel-King, Ada, Shelley, Bailey, Schumacher, Murphy (Miller, 75), Grant (Verma, 81), Donaldson (Moore, 70)

Subs: Walton, Davis, Tootle, Legzdins

Referee: Mr James Linnington

Attendance: 6,545