Crewe Alexandra cruised into the second round of the Johnstone's Paint Trophy with a comfortable 3-0 win over League Two side Macclesfield Town. Crewe were 3-0 ahead at the interval and coasting thanks to opening goals of the season from Steven Schumacher, Billy Jones, Danny O'Donnell and the visitors made things even more difficult for themselves when Martin Gritton was ordered off for two bookable offences before even 15 minutes had passed.
Steve Holland made four chances from the side that lost 2-0 at Hereford United on Saturday. Two changes were forced with Michael O'Connor away on International duty with Northern Ireland and Joel Grant ruled out with a tight hamstring. James Bailey and Tom Pope were both given a rest with Calvin Zola paring Anthony Elding up front and Schumacher recalled into the centre of midfield. There was also a recall for Ben Rix and Eugen Bopp.
Schumacher certainly staked his claim with an early goal after just five minutes. The midfielder got on the end of a clever header down from Julien Baudet to convert his first goal of the campaign from around eight yards out. That was the last thing Macclesfield Town would have wanted after conceding six goals at the weekend and the goal settled Crewe down.
The visitors problems increased when Gritton was cautioned for arguing his point with the referee on 10 minutes and then catching Daniel O'Donnell with a high tackle just three minutes later. After deliberating with his assistant, the referee produced a second yellow card and the Silkmen were reduced to ten men with the majority of the match still to be played out.
Before the red mist had ascended on Gritton, he had Macclesfield Town's best chance of the early exchanges with a shot straight at Steve Collis. His red card gave his side an uphill struggle on a rainy evening in Crewe.
Billy Jones was providing some wonderful crosses from the left wing. The left back whistled one just wide of the far post and Shaun Brisley did superbly to head another one behind for a corner when facing his own goal.
On 25 minutes, Rix drew a great save from the Macclesfield keeper John Brain after some fine work inside the box from Elding. Rix must have thought he had scored after switching the ball into a shooting position, but Brain produced a wonderful reflex save to push it over his bar.
Macclesfield were slow to organise from the resulting corner though and once the ball was reworked to the original taker Billy Jones on the edge of the Macclesfield penalty area, they were completely caught out with his accurate low drive into the bottom corner. It was his first ever goal for Crewe and virtually ended Macclesfield's hopes of a revival.
Elding and Zola were linking up well with both setting the wide men Moore and Bopp free to increase the pressure on Macclesfield's wing-back system that was disjointed by being a man down.
Macclesfield still tried to venture forward and the impressive Danny Wilson forced Collis into another decent save. The Alex keeper was also caught by the studs of Terry Dunfield as he slid on the wet surface trying to reach a loose ball.
Even Bell was lucky to escape a yellow card with a foul on Moore but he would be cautioned early in the second half for a similar challenge on Bopp. He has always been a whole hearted midfielder and other than those two late tackles, he was usually involved in much of Macclesfield's neat passing.
Crewe wrapped the game up in the 42nd minute when again Macclesfield failed to clear their lines properly at a corner. Jones was again the provider and as the Macclesfield defence tried to rush out and catch someone offside, Alex defender Daniel O'Donnell timed his run to perfection and guided his header past Brain.
With Crewe relatively comfortable going into the second half, Clayton Donaldson was given a 45-minute run out. Elding made way with Saturday's reunion at Leeds obviously something for him to look forward too.
The second half never really hit the heights of the first and some of Crewe's play became sloppy. When you wanted to see Crewe go on and score perhaps one or two more, our clear-cut chances dried up and the biggest compliment you can pay Macclesfield is that they didn't look as though they had ten men in the second half. They stuck at it and worked exceeding hard to restore some pride.
Keith Alexander's side played some good football and Bell was only denied a goal on his return to Gresty Road by a superbly timed tackle from Danny Woodards.
Crewe always looked the more likely side to score though but again we didn't trouble John Brain on too many occasions either. Moore shot wide fairly early on and Zola was halted in his tracks as he collided with Brain trying to reach a Bopp pass.
Zola didn't remain on the pitch too much longer, with Miller replacing him. He worked hard but never really had that chance in front of goal. A late effort on the turn was blocked and he shot another wide.
As the rain began to fall even harder, Rix was also booked for a late tackle on Dunfield but genuine chances were few and far between for both sides. Although Baudet nearly got onto the end of another super cross from Jones and Schumacher nearly ended what he finished with a late shot that was deflected wide. All in all it was a comfortable night's work for Crewe and it is they who progress into the second round.
