On a very cold wet night in Mansfield the pitch had to be drained of all the rain it collected prior kick off before the game could get under way. Having scored 5 against the Stags only a couple of months ago the 200 travelling faithful were fairly confident of something good. There were 3 changes as expected with Bankole, Walker and Sorvel all in the starting 11 aswell as Adam Yates being on the bench for the first time after being called up from the youth team.
From the start Crewe showed intent on winning the game, with ease, some good passing moves controlled the game for Crewe without any real pressure from Mansfield for the ball. A neat passing move down the right and into the centre of the pitch just outside the box saw Sorvels hard shot deflected away. It looked as though it could have troubled the keeper aswell. With the ground looking like there was still 30 minutes till kick off the atmosphere was weird with only school children making any real noise for the Stags.
However it wasn't long before Crewe go the lead they rightly deserved. Dave Brammer sent Hulse running free on goal, he got into the area rounded the keeper and from a tight angle neatly tooked the ball into the back of the net, it was hardly surprising. As always though we settled back for abit allowing the yellow and blue shirts to apply pressure on the back four. No real chances going for the stags but the Alex had to stay on their toes. It was suddenly 2-0 though when ulse doubled his and Crewe's tally. A trademark Sodje header from a freekick allowed Jack to have a shot which was blocked by the group of yellow shirts before Hulse smacked the ball into the right hand corner from 12 yards out, even if there was a wicked deflection off the thigh of Moore. Again Crewe sat back not wishing to embarass the Mansfield faithful... just yet. So, with Bankole in net it's never a dull game and he didn't dissapoint. When Wright let slip a ball out for a needless corner the corner resulted in Bankole spilling the ball 8 yards from his goal line and while trying to gather the ball on the floor he was just pushing the ball away even more and into the feet of a yellow shirt, Sodje, Foster and Wright were all on the goal line as we started to play rush goalie. After a couple of blocked shots Brammer cleared the ball from danager. Crewe went back up the other end hoping to extend the lead. Some lucky play from Lunty down the right saw him get a free view of goal and so he smacked a shot into the top right hand corner only for a magnificant save from the former Man Utd keeper, Kevin Pilkington, as he punched it over for a corner. One problem for Crewe though was the matter of the many balls hit down the right for Jones to run onto were far to hard and went out for goal kicks the other one was the fact Hulse and Jones were not running onto balls which were loafte over the Mansfield defence - something soon pointed out by Dario and Baker.
Steve Jones wasted a perfect opportunity to put Crewe 3-0 up when he raced clear of the Mansfield defence, who were rarther reluctant to react to Jones, Jones just had Pilkington to ebat and instead of smacking it at goal he went to Curlit into the far corner but screwed it and no pace or spin was on the ball to the delight of Mansfield fans.
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From the start Crewe showed intent on winning the game, with ease, some good passing moves controlled the game for Crewe without any real pressure from Mansfield for the ball. A neat passing move down the right and into the centre of the pitch just outside the box saw Sorvels hard shot deflected away. It looked as though it could have troubled the keeper aswell. With the ground looking like there was still 30 minutes till kick off the atmosphere was weird with only school children making any real noise for the Stags.
However it wasn't long before Crewe go the lead they rightly deserved. Dave Brammer sent Hulse running free on goal, he got into the area rounded the keeper and from a tight angle neatly tooked the ball into the back of the net, it was hardly surprising. As always though we settled back for abit allowing the yellow and blue shirts to apply pressure on the back four. No real chances going for the stags but the Alex had to stay on their toes. It was suddenly 2-0 though when ulse doubled his and Crewe's tally. A trademark Sodje header from a freekick allowed Jack to have a shot which was blocked by the group of yellow shirts before Hulse smacked the ball into the right hand corner from 12 yards out, even if there was a wicked deflection off the thigh of Moore. Again Crewe sat back not wishing to embarass the Mansfield faithful... just yet. So, with Bankole in net it's never a dull game and he didn't dissapoint. When Wright let slip a ball out for a needless corner the corner resulted in Bankole spilling the ball 8 yards from his goal line and while trying to gather the ball on the floor he was just pushing the ball away even more and into the feet of a yellow shirt, Sodje, Foster and Wright were all on the goal line as we started to play rush goalie. After a couple of blocked shots Brammer cleared the ball from danager. Crewe went back up the other end hoping to extend the lead. Some lucky play from Lunty down the right saw him get a free view of goal and so he smacked a shot into the top right hand corner only for a magnificant save from the former Man Utd keeper, Kevin Pilkington, as he punched it over for a corner. One problem for Crewe though was the matter of the many balls hit down the right for Jones to run onto were far to hard and went out for goal kicks the other one was the fact Hulse and Jones were not running onto balls which were loafte over the Mansfield defence - something soon pointed out by Dario and Baker.
Steve Jones wasted a perfect opportunity to put Crewe 3-0 up when he raced clear of the Mansfield defence, who were rarther reluctant to react to Jones, Jones just had Pilkington to ebat and instead of smacking it at goal he went to Curlit into the far corner but screwed it and no pace or spin was on the ball to the delight of Mansfield fans.
At half time there were boos and jeers from the Mansfield end and obvious most of them are calling for managers Watkiss' head. In the second half Crewe got off to a slow start with Mansfield looking for a way back into the game. A shot which was scuffed by Larkin skimmed past the far post as it got Mansfield fans off their feet after they thought it was in. Crewe punished Mansfields inability to impose themselfs on the game by extending the lead. Again it was Hulse as he grabbed the first ever Crewe hat-trik since 1998 and only 3 days before his 23rd birthday. Jack turned the right sided defender inside out before breaking down the right and into the area where he cross to Hulse and from 12 yards out vollyed the ball into the top right corner and made the game out of reach. The players confidence was all coming back after last Staurdays blip against Plymouth. some thought that would be it and Crewe would settle on a 3-0 win but no, just to add insult to injury Jack made in four just 3 minutes later on the hour mark. A break down the left saw Hulse fire a shot accross goal from a few yards out, it hit the right hand post and after a little bit of confusion Jack scrambled it over the line. The alex faithful didn't care now, the match was just a training exersise for the Alex. Brammer nearly made it 5-0 when hisshot skimmed past the right post, it was that close the 200 Alex fans thought it was a goal only to be let down when Pilkington took the goal kick.
After that it was just pass and move for the Alex as no one was cocerntrating on the match anymore, fans attention turned to banter with the players on the bench, mainly Ince, and the physio. For 20 minutes Ince played with the Alex crowd behind him, meanwhile on the pitch Crewe passed, passed and well passed while the minutes passed by. Full time came and went while Hulse raced to get his match ball the Alex wee clapped off while their opponents were well, booed off after conceeding yet another 4 goals against the mighty Alex.
After that it was just pass and move for the Alex as no one was cocerntrating on the match anymore, fans attention turned to banter with the players on the bench, mainly Ince, and the physio. For 20 minutes Ince played with the Alex crowd behind him, meanwhile on the pitch Crewe passed, passed and well passed while the minutes passed by. Full time came and went while Hulse raced to get his match ball the Alex wee clapped off while their opponents were well, booed off after conceeding yet another 4 goals against the mighty Alex.
It leaves Crewe in the second round of the LDV Vans Trophy - the draw will be made on Saturday morning live on Sky Sports Soccer Am at around 10am we believe.