Crewe Alexandra 2-0 Hartlepool United: 10-man Pools slip back into the bottom two

Sterry was shown a straight red card for a challenge on Rio Adebisi inside the opening 15 minutes which changed the game for Keith Curle’s side.

Callum Ainley and Ryan Finnigan were on hand to capitalise with two goals inside eight minutes to see out the first half as the Railwaymen’s victory dropped Hartlepool back into the bottom two.

Pools were searching for back-to-back away wins for only the second time this season following December’s successes over Crawley Town and Rochdale after their win over Doncaster Rovers 10 days ago.

And Curle’s side arrived having salvaged a point against Sutton United at the weekend having trailed 2-0 before clawing back the deficit against 10 men.

But quite whether the glass was half-full or half-empty with regards to that point against Sutton may well have been determined by the outcome here at the Mornflake Stadium.

Curle made two changes from the draw with Sutton as in came Arsenal loanee Taylor Foran for his full-debut.

Foran replaced Matt Dolan in the heart of Hartlepool’s defence, a defence which did include full-back Sterry after he was a doubt having picked up a knock on the ankle against the U’s.

But Sterry was fit as he continued on the right for Curle’s side with the other change coming in attack as deadline day signing Connor Jennings dropped to the bench in place of the returning Jack Hamilton.

Hamilton had been missing since the 2-1 defeat against Colchester United where he was taken off injured as both Jennings and Dolan took up a seat on the bench - a bench which included the return of Mouhamed Niang.

Pools were coming up against a Crewe side who had won just five games on home soil this season, with the Railwaymen bottom of the form table having taken just four points from the previous six games heading into the contest.

But Hartlepool were heading to a ground where they had not won since 1982 and, although their need for points is arguably greater than Lee Bell’s side, given their precarious position in the table, the onus was on the away side to take the game to Crewe and claw them back into a relegation battle themselves.

And it was Curle’s side who started the game brighter with David Ferguson showing his threat on the left with a couple of teasing crosses in the early stages - one just escaping Dan Kemp who just couldn’t sort his feet to get an effort at goal.

Kemp would be involved again soon after, however, after Finnigan was penalised for a handball which would allow the MK Dons loanee a strike at goal.

But having opened his Hartlepool account with a stunning free kick against Sutton, Kemp this time could only find the side netting.

But despite an encouraging half, Hartlepool’s game plan was soon thrown out of the window when Sterry was shown a straight red card for a foul on Adebisi.

Adebisi looked to skip inside on the left before being caught by Sterry with referee Neil Hair showing no hesitation in reaching for his back pocket with Hartlepool picking up their first red card of the season.

It meant Curle was forced to reshuffle his pack as Hamilton was withdrawn in favour of Mohamad Sylla.

Pools were tasked with sitting in but were almost punished immediately when Elliott Nevitt latched onto a long ball forward before dragging wide of Jakub Stolarczyk’s post.

Having escaped Nevitt’s opportunity, Hartlepool would fashion a chance of their own to take the lead when Kemp got clear on the right to whip in a delightful ball for Oliver Finney who volleyed over at the back post against his former club.

Hartlepool’s resistance would last around 20 minutes, though, as Crewe took the lead just after half-an-hour when Dan Agyei was just about able to get the better of Foran inside the area, despite the young Arsenal defender’s best efforts, with his low cross finding Ainley who made no mistake from around eight yards.

And Hartlepool’s task was made even tougher eight minutes later when Stolarczyk and his defence collided as the young goalkeeper could only punch Joel Tabiner’s free kick into the path of Finnigan on the edge of the area who powered through the crowd and into the back of the net.

Curle’s side did finish the half quite strongly as Kemp and Dodds exchanged before Kemp had another sighter with a free kick on the edge of the area. But unlike against Sutton, Kemp fired over the bar.

Curle made a triple substitution at the break as captain Nicky Featherstone, Finney and Josh Umerah were all replaced for Brendan Kiernan, Niang and Jennings but it was the home side who held the control with Hartlepool unable to see much possession in the opening stages of the half.

Adebisi found the run of Agyei who got the wrong side of Dodds before firing into the side netting before Adebisi wasted a golden opportunity to add a third when meeting Ainley’s in-swinging cross at the back post only to head wide.

But Curle’s men did show some signs of life after the hour with Kemp and Dodds in particular getting on the ball and driving forward more, albeit without testing David Richards in goal.

That was until Dodds picked up a ball from Niang inside his own half and was able to advance to the edge of the Crewe penalty area before firing over the bar as the home supporters grew a little frustrated with how the 10-men were edging back into the game.

But Pools were unable to make that brief spell count as the game drifted into defeat with Curle’s side now back in the bottom two.

Crewe Alexandra XI: Richards, Adebisi, McDonald, Offord ©, Thomas, Ainley (Sambou ‘67), Agyei (Brook ‘60), O’Riordan, Finnigan, Nevitt, Tabiner (Uwakwe ‘90)

Subs: Beadle, Griffiths, Sass-Davies, Holicek

Hartlepool United XI: Stolarczyk, Sterry, Dodds, Foran, Pruti, Ferguson, Featherstone © (Niang ‘45), Finney (Kiernan ‘45), Kemp (Grey ‘82), Hamilton (Sylla ‘15), Umerah (Jennings ‘45)

Subs: Killip, Dolan

Referee: Neil Hair

Attendance: 3,190