Crewe 3 Mansfield 0

Last updated : 07 December 2002 By Footymad Previewer

Crewe booked their place in the third round of the FA Cup with a comfortable 3-0 home win over struggling Mansfield.

The Stags had already been beaten 5-0 and 4-0 by the Railwaymen in league and LDV Trophy games earlier in the season, but they put up a better fight this time under new manager Keith Curle.

In fact Curle's new charges had the better of the attacking play in the first half with Danny Bacon coming the closest when his downward header from a corner was heading for the top corner of Clayton Ince's net until left back David Vaughan headed off the line.

Iyseden Christie was always a handful for the home defence shooting at Ince from 25 yards and dragging one effort past the post which he may have done better with.

But by then Crewe were already ahead courtesy of a sixth minute strike by youngster Ben Rix.

The midfielder, celebrating his 20th birthday, latched onto Kenny Lunt's slide rule pass inside the box to steer the ball beyond Mansfield's keeper Kevin Pilkington for the opener.

Crewe wasted shooting opportunities to add to that strike with Neil Sorvel being particularly guilty of some bad finishing and he may have been made to pay for it.

Neil MacKenzie was dominant in midfield for the opposition and he ended a good run with a fine long range drive which was heading to the far corner of the net until Ince made a classic diving save to palm the ball around his post.

A scrappy period of play in the second half ended with Crewe reinforcing their superiority and grabbing a second to make the tie safe. Lunt was tripped in the box by half time substitute Dave Jervis and Dave Brammer sent Pilkington the wrong way with the spot kick in the 62nd minute.

Dean Ashton grabbed his first goal of the season to wrap things up 12 minutes from time when he crashed a spectacular shot from the edge of the box into the top corner.

And the young forward could have added a fourth but saw his effort to the left side of the box rebound off the far post in injury time.