Crewe Alex - 3 Birmingham City - 1

A CONFIDENT Alex side bounced back from the hiccup against QPR to brush aside Portsmouth and knock in three goals to emphasise that there is plenty of life in the Crewe attack after Dele.

The win against the First Division's bottom club left the Alex closer to the play-off zone than the relegation battle.

Shaun Smith, recently sidelined through injury, returned to captain the side and Lee Unsworth took over from the injured Mark Foran.

Crewe, hoping to complete another league double found the visitors in a determined mood and despite their efforts were unable to go in at the interval with the lead.

However the status quo was soon to be broken in the second half when the lively Colin Little robbed Vlachos and darted in to beat veteran keeper, Alan Knight.

Pompey hit back and on-loan striker, Claridge, tested Kearton with a good shot but he cleared the danger. Crewe then went on the attack and after Anthrobus sent Bignot on a run, the full back fired in a shot which Knight was unable to hold. Garvey darted in to double the Crewe lead with his first goal of the season.

Only five minutes later the game was put out of the reach of the visitors when Little provided Lunt with an opening. The midfielder accepted the chance and scored, his first since late September.

The visitors brought on Aloisi as a late substitute and he scored a consolation goal, however, it was too little, too late.

Crewe were well worth the points on a day when a second double was duly completed and the mid-table position was consolidated even further.

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