Conor Chaplin’s goal just before the break has given Town a 1-0 half-time lead over Crewe Alexandra at Gresty Road.

Town boss Kieran McKenna made four changes with Kane Vincent-Young, Joe Pigott, James Norwood and Dominic Thompson coming into the team, while a number of youngsters were included among the subs.

Wing-backs Wes Burns and Matt Penney missed out with knocks, while Pigott and Norwood came into the front three for Bersant Celina and Macauley Bonne, who dropped to the bench. Pigott was down the middle with Norwood behind him to his left and Conor Chaplin to the right.

Keeper Nick Hayes, who rejoined the club in January, was in the 18 for the first time and is joined by midfielder Cameron Humphreys and forward Tawanda Chirewa, as well Elkan Baggott, who has been a regular in the squad in recent weeks.

Hayes, 23, has previously made one EFL Trophy appearance for Salford, while 18-year-old Humphreys has made one Carabao Cup start for the Blues plus two sub appearances, one in League One.

Chirewa, 18, has made one EFL Trophy sub appearance at Colchester in November 2019 when aged 16.

In windy conditions with patches of the pitch boggy due to overwatering ahead of kick-off, the Blues began on the front foot and created their first chance in the sixth minute.

Pigott cleverly turned into Chaplin’s path on the right of the box and the former Barnsley man crossed for Norwood at the near post but Billy Sass-Davies got his toe in to put it behind.

On 13, Tariq Umwakwe floated over a cross from the right towards Chris Long at the far post but Janoi Donacien headed it away.

Norwood was shown the game’s first yellow card a minute later for a late tackle on Luke Offord in the centre circle, although the Town striker appeared to make little if any contact.

Crewe came more into a game not played at the highest tempo, as might have been expected given it had nothing riding on it for either team, with the Blues having had sloppy moments when the ball was needlessly given away, however, with the home side looking little threat.

On 28, a poor clearance from Alex keeper David Richards fell to Tyreeq Bakinson, who quickly got it forward to Pigott in space outside the area but the former AFC Wimbledon man blazed over when he will feel he ought to have done better.

Three minutes later, Norwood tapped back to skipper Sam Morsy on the edge of the box and after working himself space, the Egyptian international struck a shot which deflected wide.

Vincent-Young was played in on the left of the box in the 32nd minute and cut the ball back but the danger was cleared. Moments later, Bakinson was booked for pulling back Ryan Alebiousu on the Crewe right.

Callum Ainley curled a shot straight at Christian Walton at one end, then at the other Bakinson played a ball forward for Norwood to chase. The striker reached it but was unable to put it past advancing keeper Richards, who blocked.

In the 37th minute, Offord got ahead of Norwood as the frontman sought to get on the end of a floated cross from the left, then for Crewe, Luke Murphy’s pass found Long in space on the left from where the forward shot into the empty seats in the stand behind the goal. It was an opportunity worthy of a better finish. Soon after, Thompson was booked for a foul on Uwakwe.

Bakinson hit a bouncing ball onto the front of the roof of the stand at the opposite end in the 42nd minute following Town’s sixth corner of the half.

As the half moved into one minute of added time, Long struck a shot on the turn which flew past Walton’s left post.

Moments before the whistle, Town took the lead. Donacien played a ball over the top on the right, Vincent-Young used his pace to keep it in and cut it back towards the penalty spot for Chaplin, who shot across Richards - perhaps not catching it as cleanly as he might have done - and into the corner of the net, the forward’s 11th goal of the season and his second in two matches.

The Blues deserved their lead at the break having been the better side and having created most of the chances in a half which wasn’t always the most enthralling or played with the greatest intensity with the strong wind also having an impact.

Clear-cut opportunities had been rare but Vincent-Young had been a threat down the right throughout the half and did well to get the ball across to Chaplin, who once again showed how clinical he is when a chance falls to him inside the area.

Crewe: Richards, Alebiosu, Offord, Long, Lowery, Ainley, Mandron, Murphy (c), Sass-Davies, Williams, Uwakwe. Subs: Jaaskelainen, Finney, Griffiths, Sambou, O'Riordan, Tabiner, Kashket.

Town: Walton, Donacien, Woolfenden, Burgess, Vincent-Young, Bakinson, Morsy (c), Thompson, Chaplin, Norwood, Pigott. Subs: Hayes, Baggott, El Mizouni, Humphreys, Celina, Chirewa, Bonne. Referee: Simon Mather (Manchester).

Photo: Pagepix

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