Crewe Alexandra won 0-4 at Accrington Stanley on Friday afternoon, a result that reflected their dominance across the second half after a relatively even opening period.
The visitors took control before the break. Freddie Sass put Crewe ahead on 45 minutes, capping a spell in which Josh March had already been involved in the build-up play that unsettled Accrington's defensive shape. The home side struggled to respond with any sustained threat.
Sass doubled his tally six minutes into the second half, and the game was effectively settled within the hour. Jack Powell added a third on 57 minutes, and the afternoon grew more complicated for Accrington when Seamus Conneely received his second yellow card on 62 minutes, having been booked initially at 56 minutes. Playing with ten men for the final half-hour, the home side had little opportunity to mount any form of recovery.
Paddy Madden completed the scoring on 78 minutes, arriving late to finish off a move that Accrington's reduced side could not contain.
There were bookings throughout, with Donald Love cautioned late on and Adrien Thibaut and Liam Coyle both receiving yellow cards in the 77th and 78th minute respectively, suggesting a fraying of discipline in the closing stages from both sides.
Accrington remain under pressure at the wrong end of the table. Crewe, by contrast, will take considerable confidence from a performance that was efficient and well-managed throughout.
Recap generated from the event timeline. Editorial team review by request. How we use AI.
