Match report: Nantwich Town 0 Crewe Alexandra 3

By Ashley Houghton
Crewe Alexandra emerged as 3-0 winners in their pre-season friendly at Nantwich Town.

Goals from Byron Moore, Max Clayton and Ajay Leitch-Smith secured the win in front of more than 1,250 at the Weaver Stadium.

Steve Davis named a strong side for the clash with The Dabbers, with many of the starting XI playing a part in last season’s League Two promotion campaign.

Nantwich boss Jimmy Quinn gave starts to Jon Brain, Darren Moss, Zak Foster and Will Jones as he rotated his side from the team that lost to Altrincham a week ago.

In quite an even opening period Crewe were the closest to breaking the deadlock when good interplay between Leitch-Smith and Clayton presented an opening to the latter but he flashed over from 25 yards.

Nantwich crept into the game more after the quarter hour and Will Jones, making a first Dabbers start, blasted Foster’s cross over from point blank range.

The Alex took the lead on 24 minutes when Matt Tootle broke down the right and cut back for Moore and the Alex winger slotted home from six yards.

The Dabbers continued to play football with Caspar Hughes pulling the strings in midfield and they were unfortunate not to equalise when Mark Beesley’s glancing header from Moss’s cross went just wide.

Nantwich came out into the second half searching for an equaliser and continued to play good football, Hughes and Jones played a neat one-two before freeing Fraser McLachlan but his right-footed curler was well saved by Alan Martin.

As so often before Jon Brain came to The Dabbers rescue as he produced a fine string of saves, first from Brendan Daniels’ well struck volley and then from ex-Dabbers loanee, Andy White.

With 15 minutes to go Crewe managed to get their second through Nantwich-born Max Clayton. The teenage striker latched on to Moore’s cross and lifted the ball past Brain.

The third came in stoppage time as an Alex corner fell to White who lifted into the area for Leitch-Smith to swivel and finish inside the six-yard box.

(Pics by Simon J Newbury Photography)