Shrewsbury Town beat Crewe Alexandra 4-1 on Saturday afternoon, a result that felt inevitable long before the final whistle given the home side's dominance from the opening minutes.
Shrewsbury moved in front as early as the fifth minute through Matthew Cox, and Josh March doubled the advantage three minutes later. Crewe had barely settled before they found themselves two goals down, and the pattern of the afternoon was already clear.
March added a third just before half-time through Jack Lankester, though the goal was credited to the midfielder, sending Shrewsbury into the break with full control of the contest.
Crewe offered brief resistance after the interval. Matus Holicek pulled one back on 57 minutes to give the visitors a foothold, and Shrewsbury's lead briefly looked less comfortable. The response, however, was swift. March completed his hat-trick on 64 minutes, restoring the three-goal margin and ending any realistic prospect of a Crewe comeback.
The closing stages brought a flurry of activity. Emre Tezgel scored twice in quick succession, while a cluster of substitutions on both sides disrupted the flow. Cards were distributed late, with Will Gray, Adrien Thibaut, Omar Bogle, James Connolly and Jack Powell all entering the referee's book around the 74th to 77th minute.
Shrewsbury were worthy winners. Their forward line worked with real purpose throughout, and March's treble was the centrepiece of a commanding home performance.
Recap generated from the event timeline. Editorial team review by request. How we use AI.
