Match ends, Crewe Alexandra 6, Crawley Town 1.
Four goals inside seven first-half minutes steered Crewe to their first win in six games as they hammered 10-man Crawley in a 6-1 victory.
Crawley's Ollie Palmer fired his side ahead from the penalty spot in the 12th minute after Crewe's stand-in captain Perry Ng's clumsy push floored Reece Grego-Cox.
But the Railwaymen turned the game in emphatic fashion with their goal blitz toward the end of the first half.
Ng made amends when he slipped in Jordan Bowery on the right and the striker thundered in off the near post to level in the 36th minute.
Charlie Kirk broke free on the left and his angled drive was diverted past Glenn Morris by defender Tom Dallison two minutes later.
The hosts moved 3-1 ahead when Kirk's shot was saved by Morris and, despite Bowery failing with the rebound, the ball fell in the path of the unmarked Chris Porter at the far post to apply a simple tap-in.
Joe McNerney then lost possession to Paul Green who was left with only Morris to beat before faking his finish and picking his spot for Crewe's fourth in the 43rd minute.
Kirk was thwarted by Morris as he went through on goal after the restart, but he was not to be denied when he turned in Ng's low cross from close range two minutes after the restart.
Crewe could have had more, but Morris turned Ollie Finney's 25-yard effort around a post and Green smashed the underside of the crossbar and clear before Crawley's misery was compounded by substitute Ibrahim Meite's straight red card in the 78th minute for elbowing Eddie Nolan.
Substitute Owen Dale fired home his first senior goal into the top corner for Crewe's sixth late on to complete the rout.
Match report supplied by the Press Association.
Line-ups
Crewe
Formation 4-1-3-2
- 1Garratt
- 2Ng
- 29HuntBooked at 79mins
- 12Nolan
- 3PickeringSubstituted forTaylor-Sinclairat 63'minutes
- 15Wintle
- 17GreenSubstituted forJonesat 70'minutes
- 21Finney
- 20KirkSubstituted forDaleat 60'minutes
- 10Bowery
- 7Porter
Substitutes
- 8Jones
- 9Miller
- 11Ainley
- 13Richards
- 16Lowery
- 19Dale
- 31Taylor-Sinclair
Crawley
Formation 3-5-2
- 1Morris
- 14FrancombSubstituted forat 90+3'minutes
- 5McNerney
- 17Dallison-Lisbon
- 2Young
- 22MoraisSubstituted forMeiteat 74'minutesBooked at 80mins
- 21Bulman
- 19WillockSubstituted forCamaraat 71'minutes
- 18Sesay
- 9Palmer
- 7Grego-CoxSubstituted forGermanat 57'minutes
Substitutes
- 4Payne
- 12Mersin
- 13German
- 28Camara
- 29Meite
- 33N'Gala
- Referee:
- Seb Stockbridge
- Attendance:
- 3,220
Match Stats
- Possession
- Home59%
- Away41%
- Shots
- Home19
- Away9
- Shots on Target
- Home10
- Away6
- Corners
- Home4
- Away8
- Fouls
- Home8
- Away9
Live Text
Post update
Full Time
Second Half ends, Crewe Alexandra 6, Crawley Town 1.
Post update
Corner, Crewe Alexandra. Conceded by Joe McNerney.
Post update
Attempt saved. Ryan Wintle (Crewe Alexandra) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the bottom right corner.
Post update
George Francomb went off injured after Crawley Town had used all subs.
Post update
Delay over. They are ready to continue.
Post update
Delay in match George Francomb (Crawley Town) because of an injury.
Post update
Attempt blocked. Perry Ng (Crewe Alexandra) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
Goal!
Goal! Crewe Alexandra 6, Crawley Town 1. Owen Dale (Crewe Alexandra) left footed shot from outside the box to the bottom left corner. Assisted by James Jones.
Post update
Attempt saved. Tom Dallison (Crawley Town) header from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal.
Post update
Corner, Crawley Town. Conceded by Nicky Hunt.
Post update
Attempt blocked. Ricardo German (Crawley Town) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
Dismissal
Ibrahim Meite (Crawley Town) is shown the red card for violent conduct.
Booking
Nicky Hunt (Crewe Alexandra) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Post update
Foul by Nicky Hunt (Crewe Alexandra).
Post update
Ibrahim Meite (Crawley Town) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Post update
Nicky Hunt (Crewe Alexandra) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Post update
Foul by Ollie Palmer (Crawley Town).
Substitution
Substitution, Crawley Town. Ibrahim Meite replaces Filipe Morais.
Post update
Attempt missed. Jordan Bowery (Crewe Alexandra) right footed shot from the centre of the box is too high.