Match Report: Crewe Alex 2 - Leeds 3

CREWE put a brave fight before succumbing to defeat despite playing for more than 75 minutes with 10 men.

They were handicapped by the 16th minute dismissal of Billy Jones.

And goals from Neil Kilkenny (27), Luciano Becchio (30) and Roberts Snodgrass (32) swept Leeds into an unassailable lead.

But despite being a man down, the Alex mounted a second-half fight-back with goals from Julien Baudet (60) and Tom Pope (73) to make the promotion-chasers sweat.

Crewe had leading scorer Pope back up front in place of the injured Calvin Zola.

And Fabian Delph's foul on the marauding John Brayford offered them a juicy free kick in the third minute during a promising opening spell.

But Jones's delivery was headed clear by Neil Kilkenny.

When Jones pumped the ball over from the left, Brayford attempted an ambitious volley, but sliced his effort over Casper Ankergren's bar.

Leeds threatened for the first time on 10 minutes when on-loan striker Liam Dickson robbed Dennis Lawrence and curled from 20 yards at John Ruddy.

Jonathan Howson flicked an effort inches past Ruddy's far post during an even opening quarter-of-an-hour in which Crewe chose the more direct route, but Leeds were a threat on the break.

But that all changed when Jones's tangle with Robert Snodgrass out on the right flank ultimately left the Alex a man down.

Jones was being fouled by the winger but then retaliated to earn a booking.

Yet he continued to protest his innocence as tempers flared all around him. Then referee Scott Matthieson reached for his red card to exact further punishment for the defender's verbals.

Crewe responded to the setback with Gylfi Sigurdsson firing just wide of Ankergren's goal from 30 yards out.

And Gudjon Thordarson stiffened their rearguard action by replacing Joel Grant with Danny Woodards on 25 minutes.

But his side were behind within two minutes, following a corner on the right which produced a shot from Fabian Delph. That was blocked off but the ball fell for Kilkenny who drove low and hard into the far corner.

Within three minutes, Crewe were left with a mountain to climb when Snodgrass got to the by-line and chipped the ball up over the six-yard box for Becchio to head in from close range.

Then, when the ball was given away cheaply, Snodgrass broke free down the left, tore into the box and buried a low shot under Ruddy for the third in 32nd minute.

To make matters worse for Crewe, if that was entirely possible, Steve Schumacher was stretchered off before the interval.

Pope was inches away from turning in Sigurdsson's curling free kick at the far post at the start of the second-half.

And Brayford's downward header from a swinging cross from Clayton Donaldson bounced off the turf and over Ankergren's bar as Crewe showed spirit in adversity.

Donaldson turned and fired for the top corner just before the hour mark, forcing Ankergren to palm over.

But the keeper was undone by Sigurdsson's resulting corner and Baudet was offered a free header to finish into an unguarded net.

It hardly looked like Leeds had the extra man for long spells and when Sigurdsson cut in from the left, Woodards's shot was blocked and the ball spun up for Pope to stoop and head home Crewe's second in the 73rd minute.

Ruddy stopped sub Bradley Jobhson's low drive from hitting the bottom corner as Leeds broke with 10 minutes left.

Ankergren turned around Sigurdsson's curling free kick in stoppage time as Crewe fought to the last.

Then Ruddy saved from Snodgrass deep into four minutes of stoppage time.

Crewe 2 (Baudet 60, Pope 73)

Leeds 3 (Kilkenny 27, Becchio 30, Snodgrass 32)

TEAMS

Crewe: Ruddy, Brayford, Broomes, Lawrence, Baudet, Jones, Sigurdsson, Schumacher (Moore 39), Grant (Woodards, 25), Pope, Donaldson.

Subs: Collis, O'Donnell, Miller.

Leeds: Ankergren, Douglas, Parker, Marques (Michalik, 46), Naylor, Snodgrass, Howson, Kilkenny (Johnson, 76), Delph, Dickinson (Grella, 70), Becchio.

Subs: Hughes, Lucas.

Referee: Mr Scott Mathieson

Attendance: 7,138