TARGET accomplished? Crewe reached the all-important safety mark with victory and wonder goals against Gillingham on Easter Monday.
Even though Alex boss Dario Gradi insisted the champagne won't be opened until it's a mathematical certainty, 50 points should prove enough to earn a fifth season of First Division Football.
This year's home form has been outstanding and essential with Crewe bagging their seventh maximum out of an undefeated eight at the expense of Andy Hessenthaler's men.
A superb start with opportunities for both Ashton and Foster was capped off by a fine goal from on-loan Alan Navarro on 9 minutes.
Rodney Jack ended some fine football with a fierce drive that keeper Bartram could only parry for the midfielder to nip in and tuck away the rebound on his full-debut
Certainly impressive, Navarro didn't stop there and could have made it two on 17 minutes as some great interplay with Wright was followed by a neat one-two with Little, resulting in a chance he fired over the bar.
Just as a good half's work looked completed, Sodje was adjudged to have held Onuora outside of the area and Hope's resulting low free-kick took a cruel deflection of the bandana man into the back of the net.
Looking to erase that stoppage time sucker-punch, Crewe increased the tempo to start the second-half with Wright weaving magic down the right, supplying chances for both Ashton and Foster before the young striker plucked an equaliser out of the air, literally!
Backing onto the defence, Ashton chested the ball down, turned and fired home an unstoppable 30-yard volley on 59 minutes.
Further chances arrived for Deano as he turned two volleys just over the bar in the following ten minutes.
Hearts quickened when Shaw drew George out of his goal on 80 minutes and saw a weak shot bobble across the goalmouth, ending wide of the far post.
That win lifted Crewe to 15th with four games to go and perhaps that target can now become mid-table?
Crewe: Bankole, Wright, S Smith, Foster, Sodje, Sorvel, Lunt, Navarro (Charnock 85), Little, Ashton, Jack (Tait 88). Subs not used: Kearton, P Smith, Walker
Attendance: 7,051.
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