Crewe 2-0 Tranmere

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Crewe kept up with the early promotion pacesetters by stretching their unbeaten run to nine games with victory over Tranmere.

An own goal from Tom Curtis and a Rob Hulse header gave Alex the points.

Tranmere had almost taken a bizarre lead after five minutes when Crewe goalkeeper Clayton Ince's clearance was charged down by Jason Price.

The ball caught the striker on the arm before drifting wide and Price had to be stretchered off.

The visitors also came close either side of the 20-minute mark with Ince and Ben Rix denying Simon Haworth on both occasions.

Own goal

Crewe's best chance of a disappointing first half came when Richard Walker headed wide from a Dave Brammer free-kick.

It was from another header that Crewe broke the deadlock in a strange fashion 12 minutes after the interval.

Brammer's centre attempted to pick out Hulse but Rovers midfielder Curtis beat him to it and succeeded only in planting a powerful header into his own net.

Hulse did get his own head to another cross to make the game safe in the 73rd minute, nodding in Kenny Lunt's precise free-kick at the near post.

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Crewe: Ince, Sodje, Foster, Walker, Wright, Lunt, Brammer, Sorvel, Rix, Hulse, Jack. Subs: Bankole, Ashton, Little, Walton, Bell.

Tranmere: Welch, Taylor, Allen, Edwards, Roberts, Jones, Mellon, Curtis, Price, Haworth, Barlow. Subs: Sharps, Parkinson, Harrison, Hume, Nixon.

Referee: A Kaye