Match ends, Crewe Alexandra 1, Peterborough United 0.
Crewe 1-0 Peterborough United
- From the section Football
Crewe beat nine-man Peterborough at Gresty Road to move off the bottom of League One, as second-placed Posh lost ground on leaders Bristol City.
Posh keeper Ben Alnwick kept out George Ray's header before Michael Bostwick was sent off for fouling Crewe's Adam Dugdale from the resulting corner.
Marcus Haber converted the penalty, while he and Brad Inman were denied a second by Alnwick before half-time.
Jack Baldwin saw red for a second bookable offence in stoppage time.
Prior to that, Inman missed the opportunity to double Crewe's lead late on, shooting wide when one-on-one with Alnwick.
Despite the best efforts of the impressive Marcus Maddison, who was a threat for the visitors throughout, the Alex were able to keep consecutive clean sheets for the first time this season.
Peterborough, who had won three of their previous four matches, remain second in the table, but they are now six points behind Bristol City after Steve Cotterill's side drew 2-2 with Bradford at Ashton Gate.
Crewe, meanwhile, climb above Scunthorpe and Walsall after beating Posh for the first time since April 1996.
Crewe Alexandra manager Steve Davis told BBC Radio Stoke:
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"I'm looking up, not looking down any more. It's still very close down there. But we're scrapping for everything now. It's always amazing how quickly things can change in football, in just three games.
"Peterborough were very good. They've got some excellent players, but when they went to 10 men they were still good. We've done well to overcome a team of that calibre.
"The penalty has proved the winning incident. I didn't see it at first but I watched it again in the changing room at half time and you could clearly see that he pulled him back. There could've been no complaints about the second red card either."
Line-ups
Crewe
- 13Garratt
- 2Tootle
- 5Ray
- 6Dugdale
- 30Tate
- 24Leigh
- 42GrantBooked at 86mins
- 7TurtonBooked at 26mins
- 10InmanSubstituted forNessat 88'minutes
- 25Haber
- 29BrandySubstituted forCooperat 78'minutesBooked at 90mins
Substitutes
- 1Shearer
- 3Guthrie
- 8Atkinson
- 11Cooper
- 17Waters
- 28Ness
- 31Haynes
Peterborough
- 27Alnwick
- 2Smith
- 5BaldwinBooked at 90mins
- 6BostwickBooked at 30mins
- 22Almeida SantosSubstituted forMendez-Laingat 74'minutes
- 17Newell
- 15AndersonSubstituted forFerdinandat 69'minutes
- 8PayneBooked at 66mins
- 30Maddison
- 7TaylorSubstituted forZakuaniat 33'minutes
- 14Washington
Substitutes
- 9James
- 10Oztumer
- 18Ferdinand
- 19Mendez-Laing
- 20McEvoy
- 25Zakuani
- 32Grant
- Referee:
- Jeremy Simpson
- Attendance:
- 3,524
Match Stats
Home TeamCreweAway TeamPeterborough
- Possession
- Home54%
- Away46%
- Shots
- Home12
- Away11
- Shots on Target
- Home6
- Away1
- Corners
- Home8
- Away11
- Fouls
- Home11
- Away16
Live Text
Full Time
Second Half ends, Crewe Alexandra 1, Peterborough United 0.
Dismissal
Second yellow card to Jack Baldwin (Peterborough United).
Oliver Turton (Crewe Alexandra) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Jack Baldwin (Peterborough United).
Nathaniel Mendez-Laing (Peterborough United) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Foul by Matt Tootle (Crewe Alexandra).
Booking
George Cooper (Crewe Alexandra) is shown the yellow card.
Foul by George Cooper (Crewe Alexandra).
Jack Baldwin (Peterborough United) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Substitution
Substitution, Crewe Alexandra. Jamie Ness replaces Bradden Inman.
Attempt missed. Marcus Maddison (Peterborough United) left footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the left.
Booking
Anthony Grant (Crewe Alexandra) is shown the yellow card.
Foul by Anthony Grant (Crewe Alexandra).
Michael Smith (Peterborough United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Attempt missed. George Cooper (Crewe Alexandra) right footed shot from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the left.
Booking
Jack Baldwin (Peterborough United) is shown the yellow card.
George Cooper (Crewe Alexandra) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Jack Baldwin (Peterborough United).
Corner, Peterborough United. Conceded by George Ray.
Substitution
Substitution, Crewe Alexandra. George Cooper replaces Febian Brandy.
Corner, Peterborough United. Conceded by Anthony Grant.
Attempt blocked. Conor Washington (Peterborough United) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked.
Corner, Crewe Alexandra. Conceded by Jack Baldwin.
Attempt missed. Febian Brandy (Crewe Alexandra) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the right.
Substitution
Substitution, Peterborough United. Nathaniel Mendez-Laing replaces Ricardo Santos.
Corner, Crewe Alexandra. Conceded by Joe Newell.
Corner, Crewe Alexandra. Conceded by Ricardo Santos.
Substitution
Substitution, Peterborough United. Kane Ferdinand replaces Jermaine Anderson.
Foul by Marcus Haber (Crewe Alexandra).
Gabriel Zakuani (Peterborough United) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Booking
Jack Payne (Peterborough United) is shown the yellow card.
Febian Brandy (Crewe Alexandra) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Foul by Jack Payne (Peterborough United).
Foul by Adam Dugdale (Crewe Alexandra).
Conor Washington (Peterborough United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Attempt missed. Oliver Turton (Crewe Alexandra) right footed shot from more than 40 yards on the left wing misses to the left.
Attempt saved. Bradden Inman (Crewe Alexandra) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the top centre of the goal.
Anthony Grant (Crewe Alexandra) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Jermaine Anderson (Peterborough United).