Cheltenham v Crewe

Cheltenham 0

Crewe 2

Powell 15′ Moore 82′

FT 90 +8
HT 0-1

Crewe are promoted

Nick Powell scores stunning volley against Cheltenham at Wembley

Powell wonder goal wows Wembley

By Emlyn Begley BBC Sport at Wembley

Nick Powell's stunning volley set Crewe Alexandra on their way to League Two play-off final delight as they defeated Cheltenham at Wembley to win promotion.

The 18-year-old opened the scoring with a spectacular strike after flicking the ball up on the edge of the box.

The Robins had opportunities to level, most notably when Jeff Goulding struck the crossbar from 25 yards.

But the Alex sealed the win that takes them up to League One when Byron Moore slotted home with eight minutes left.

Steve Davis - Crewe hero

Crewe boss Steve Davis was promoted from assistant manager in November after club legend Dario Gradi stepped aside.
He has only lost four of his 32 games in charge.
His previous managerial experience was at Northwich and Nantwich.

Crewe ended the season in spectacular form to bulldoze their way into the play-offs. They sat 12th in the table following their last defeat, a 1-0 loss against Southend in February, and scored in all of their 19 games since then.

Powell, who has been in stunning form for the Railwaymen and is a rumoured target of Manchester United, won every single Crewe players' award this season.

The teenager played just off striker AJ Leitch-Smith and most of the Alex's best moves in the first half came through the attacking midfielder.

He battled well to win the ball near the halfway line and fed Luke Murphy, whose shot was easily saved from the edge of box, and then set up Leitch-Smith, who shot wide.

But then came his glorious Wembley moment. Kelvin Mellor found Powell, who turned back on himself to beat a defender by flicking the ball up brilliantly on the edge of the box and firing a stunning volley in that gave Scott Brown no chance.

Analysis

Steve Claridge BBC Football Analyst

"Two-nil is not a fair reflection of the game but who can begrudge Crewe their victory? They have a responsibility and care on the ball and I cannot remember a player panicking on the ball or a defender hoofing the ball upfield. Cheltenham will be disappointed, especially not to have got that equalising goal when they had their chances. They had to get the second goal but Crewe did. What a wonderful occasion and what a wonderful achievement from Crewe's young players"

He had an opportunity to make it 2-0 when he was not closed down outside the box but his shot fizzed just wide from 20 yards out.

Robins' boss Mark Yates made the call to start Goulding up front in place of James Spencer despite having only started 16 league games this season.

And Goulding had the Robins' best chance of the game, soon after Powell's strike, when he found the woodwork.

He put the ball in the net a few minutes later and Robins fans thought they had levelled but he was in an offside position when Ben Burgess headed the ball into his path.

Cheltenham were coming into the game and Burgess shot over from 12 yards out.

Robins keeper Scott Brown's long kicks were causing problems for the Alex and Goulding blazed over after another headed flick-on from Burgess.

Both sides had chances before half-time, Mellor heading over from six yards and Phillips denying Goulding's header.

Just before the break came another pivotal moment as Steve Elliott and Kaid Mohamed had chances blocked off the line in quick succession and Luke Summerfield blasted over.

Robins' play-off pedigree

This was Cheltenham's first ever defeat in a play-off game, they had won five and drew three of their previous extra-season games, winning promotion in 2002 and 2006.

Marlon Pack fired just wide from 20 yards out for the Robins after the restart before the lively Mohamed beat Crewe defender Adam Dugdale at the edge of the box but shot straight at Phillips.

Crewe went to try to kill the game off and Brown had to be alert to deny Dugdale a decisive goal.

Powell's influence waned in the second half and he was replaced by Max Clayton after 80 minutes to rapturous applause.

Two minutes later the game was over when Moore played a one-two with Leitch-Smith around the edge of the box and slotted home from an angle.

But the game will be remembered for Powell's wonder goal and Crewe boss Steve Davis, who only took over in November, will face a battle to keep the starlet despite their rise up the Football League ladder.

Lineup, Bookings (0) & Substitutions (6)

Cheltenham Town

01 Brown
06 Elliott
15 Bennett
19 Garbutt
22 Jombati
07 Pack (Penn - 84' )
20 McGlashan
25 Summerfield
10 Goulding (Duffy - 75' )
23 Mohamed
29 Burgess (Spencer - 83' )

Substitutes

02 Lowe
11 Smikle
16 Penn
09 Duffy
14 Spencer

Crewe Alexandra

01 Phillips
02 Tootle
03 Davis
05 Artell
06 Dugdale
04 Westwood
08 Murphy
17 Mellor
10 Leitch-Smith (Martin - 85' )
11 Moore (Bell - 90' )
25 Powell (Clayton - 80' )

Substitutes

13 Martin
15 Martin
07 Bell
34 Bodin
19 Clayton

Ref: Pawson

Att: 24,029

Match Stats

Possession 47 53

Shots

15 11

On target

5 5

Corners

8 6

Fouls

11 8

Live Text Commentary

90:00 +7:53 Full time

Full Time The referee ends the match.

90:00 +6:57

Inswinging corner taken from the right by-line by Luke Garbutt.

90:00 +6:06 Substitution

Substitution Lee Bell on for Byron Moore.

90:00 +6:06 Substitution

Substitution Lee Bell comes on in place of Kelvin Mellor.

90:00 +4:17

The ball is delivered by Luke Garbutt.

90:00 +3:01

Short corner worked by Matt Tootle.

90:00 +1:57

The assistant referee flags for offside against Russell Penn. Steve Phillips takes the indirect free kick.

90:00 +0:50

Centre by Max Clayton, clearance by Sido Jombati.