Match ends, Port Vale 1, Crewe Alexandra 3.
Port Vale 1-3 Crewe Alexandra
- From the section Football
Crewe climbed back out of the League One relegation zone to dent Port Vale's play-off hopes with a derby win.
The Alex went ahead on 15 minutes when the home defence failed to clear a cross and Mathias Pogba forced the ball over the line from close range.
Chuks Aneke's second-half penalty, after Vale skipper Doug Loft had tripped Matt Tootle, and Brad Inman's low shot wrapped up Crewe's victory.
Tom Pope scored a consolation, heading in at the far post from a corner.
Crewe's victory, making amends for their 2-1 derby defeat by Vale at Gresty Road in November, lifted the visitors two points clear of the bottom four.
After an untimely run of just one win in six matches, Micky Adams' Vale remain 10th, now nine points adrift of the play-off places.
Vale centre-half Joe Davis, facing his father Steve and brother Harry for the first time, was substituted just after the half-hour mark.
Port Vale manager Micky Adams told BBC Radio Stoke:
"Joe Davis had been booked and he was lucky to stay on the pitch with the other tackle so I decided to take him off. Some people will say it is a bit harsh, but I make decisions. I am not afraid to make them. I have done that all my career.
"Crewe deserved their win, I can't deny them that. I hope they stay up. But I am disappointed with certain aspects of our performance. Defensively, we were bang average again and you can't be.
"You need people with cool heads to make the right decisions, particularly defensively. We didn't do that, so subsequently we have got punished."
Crewe Alexandra manager Steve Davistold BBC Radio Stoke:
"It is always a good feeling to win a derby game. Hopefully that will give everybody a lift. We wanted to play attacking football and the attitude of the players was superb. We stuck to the game plan. We played in the right areas, then stood up to the long balls in to the box when they came at the end.
"We didn't punish them enough in the first half and should have been further ahead but we got a goal at the start of the second half which was really important.
"Obviously they came at us again and got a header from a corner but, other than that, I can't really complain. I just felt that we had too much for them with our pace and power. I know that the players can perform at this level every week. If we can keep creating the chances we will be fine."
Line-ups
Port Vale
- 1Neal
- 2Yates
- 5DickinsonBooked at 82mins
- 18Lines
- 20GrimmerSubstituted forKnottat 56'minutes
- 17DavisBooked at 22minsSubstituted forTomlinat 33'minutes
- 7Loft
- 21Griffith
- 11Pope
- 39HugillSubstituted forMyrie-Williamsat 33'minutes
- 3Jones
Substitutes
- 8Dodds
- 9Myrie-Williams
- 10Tomlin
- 12Johnson
- 19Williamson
- 26Birchall
- 28Knott
Crewe
- 21GarrattBooked at 80mins
- 2Tootle
- 16Guthrie
- 22Evans
- 5Ellis
- 4Davis
- 11Moore
- 42Grant
- 9Pogba
- 26AnekeBooked at 74mins
- 14InmanBooked at 88mins
Substitutes
- 1Phillips
- 3Mellor
- 6Dugdale
- 8Osman
- 18Nolan
- 19Oliver
- 29Waters
- Referee:
- Roger East
- Attendance:
- 7,812
Match Stats
Home TeamPort ValeAway TeamCrewe
- Possession
- Home46%
- Away54%
- Shots
- Home8
- Away13
- Shots on Target
- Home3
- Away7
- Corners
- Home5
- Away4
- Fouls
- Home13
- Away9
Live Text
Full Time
Second Half ends, Port Vale 1, Crewe Alexandra 3.
Corner, Crewe Alexandra. Conceded by Adam Yates.
Jennison Myrie-Williams (Port Vale) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Foul by Jon Guthrie (Crewe Alexandra).
Booking
Bradden Inman (Crewe Alexandra) is shown the yellow card for hand ball.
Corner, Crewe Alexandra. Conceded by Chris Neal.
Foul by Doug Loft (Port Vale).
Matt Tootle (Crewe Alexandra) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Attempt missed. Bradden Inman (Crewe Alexandra) right footed shot from the left side of the box misses to the right.
Booking
Carl Dickinson (Port Vale) is shown the yellow card.
Foul by Gavin Tomlin (Port Vale).
Matt Tootle (Crewe Alexandra) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Anthony Griffith (Port Vale).
Chukwuemeka Aneke (Crewe Alexandra) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Booking
Ben Garratt (Crewe Alexandra) is shown the yellow card.
(Crewe Alexandra) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Tom Pope (Port Vale).
Corner, Port Vale. Conceded by Harry Davis.
Goal!
Goal! Port Vale 1, Crewe Alexandra 3. Tom Pope (Port Vale) header from the right side of the six yard box to the high centre of the goal. Assisted by Chris Lines with a cross.
Corner, Port Vale. Conceded by Ben Garratt.
Attempt saved. Tom Pope (Port Vale) right footed shot from the left side of the box is saved in the top centre of the goal.
Corner, Port Vale. Conceded by Mark Ellis.
Booking
Chukwuemeka Aneke (Crewe Alexandra) is shown the yellow card.
Anthony Griffith (Port Vale) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Chukwuemeka Aneke (Crewe Alexandra).
Goal!
Goal! Port Vale 0, Crewe Alexandra 3. Bradden Inman (Crewe Alexandra) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the bottom left corner. Assisted by Mathias Pogba.
Attempt missed. Anthony Grant (Crewe Alexandra) right footed shot from outside the box is too high.
Foul by Jennison Myrie-Williams (Port Vale).
Anthony Grant (Crewe Alexandra) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Attempt missed. Chukwuemeka Aneke (Crewe Alexandra) right footed shot from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the left.
Anthony Griffith (Port Vale) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Chukwuemeka Aneke (Crewe Alexandra).
Attempt blocked. Chukwuemeka Aneke (Crewe Alexandra) right footed shot from very close range is blocked.
Jennison Myrie-Williams (Port Vale) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Foul by George Evans (Crewe Alexandra).
Attempt missed. Tom Pope (Port Vale) header from the centre of the box is too high.
Substitution
Substitution, Port Vale. Billy Knott replaces Jack Grimmer because of an injury.
Anthony Griffith (Port Vale) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Chukwuemeka Aneke (Crewe Alexandra).
