Hartlepool United 1, Crewe Alexandra 4
Dec 29 2008 The Journal
HARTLEPOOL slumped to a shock home defeat at the hands of League One bottom club Crewe who were full value for their first away win of the season.
Pool started quietly and showed few signs of getting better with a terrible defensive display that gave the game to struggling Alex.
The result and performance will hopefully add urgency to Pool’s search for a new manager to replace Danny Wilson, whether it be a new man or stand-in boss Chris Turner.
Turner was probably as unhappy with the display as the fans who booed off his team at the final whistle.
Captain Sam Collins said: “We’ve been punished for some slack defending. One of their goals was well taken, but the other three were all down to bad defending. We can only blame ourselves for that.
“We have been beaten by some very defendable goals. But we have to pick ourselves up and come back after results like this.”
Neither defence looked comfortable under pressure in a nervy first half. But it was Pool that cracked first. The latest of many home corners was cleared by the Crewe defence and a speedy break took them into the home half for Clayton Donaldson to cross low from the right.
John Brayford had run well from deep to finish it off at the far post, though there was a suspicion of an own goal as a defender tried to clear.
Earlier Joel Porter’s glancing header had been pushed round the Crewe post by Stuart Tomlinson. The keeper also saved an Andy Monkhouse header on the goal-line at the second attempt.
There had been an escape for Pool on the half-hour, though, when Donaldson went down after a Ben Clark challenge in the box but play was waved on.
Pool were level three minutes after the break when the impressive Porter cut inside from wide on the left and hammered an angled shot into the far corner of the net for a goal that gave his side a great lift.
But the wheels came off in five mad minutes as Crewe cashed in on more bad defending by the home team.
Danny Shelley’s low cross from the right rolled into the far corner after striker Shaun Miller and Michael Nelson both went for it. There was no doubting who got the third on the hour when Luke Murphy blasted home a great 20-yarder.
The fourth, on 82 minutes, was given to Crewe by Arran Lee-Barrett who hesitated before making a mess of a clearance. Miller hammered his 20-yard shot into the roof of the net to rub salt in Pool’s gaping wounds.
HARTLEPOOL UNITED: Lee-Barrett; Sweeney, Nelson, Collins, Humphreys, Jones, Liddle, Clark (McCunnie 70), Monkhouse (Mackay 70), Kyle (Foley 81), Porter. Subs (not used): Budtz, Rowell.
Goal: Porter 48.
CREWE ALEXANDRA: Tomlinson; Brayford, O’Donnell, Lawrence, Daniel, Shelley (Bopp 90), O’Connor, Carrington, Murphy, Miller (Elding 90), Donaldson. Subs (not used): Collis, McManus, Grant.
Goal: Brayford 45, Nelson 56 og, Murphy 61, Miller 83.
Attendance: 3,877.
Referee: Karl Evans (Greater Manchester).
