One hour before kick-off, vintage locomotive the Duchess of Sutherland pulled out of Crewe station in the shadow of the main stand at Gresty Road on its way to Chester.

Three hours later it was Stevenage who were steaming away from Crewe Alexandra with a 2-1 victory.

There was something industrial about the outcome too, the performance built on sweat, grit and honest to goodness graft.

A half-time tactical switch helped too and allowed Jamie Reid's double to overturn a 1-0 deficit at the break caused by Rodney McDonald's header.

That had all come after Taye Ashby-Hammond had saved a Crewe penalty inside the opening 20 minutes.

The win lifts Stevenage up to second in the table and keeps the wonderful start to the season.

There was five changes for Boro from the side that lost for the first time this season away to Salford last Saturday.

Out went Max Clark, Jordan Roberts, Kane Smith, Arthur Read and Danny Rose, the latter along with Michael Bostwick missing out entirely as injury caught up with them.

In their place was Reid, Luther James-Wildin, Jake Taylor, Saxon Earley and new signing Alex Gilbey coming in for an immediate debut after moving from Charlton Athletic on deadline day.

The midfielder started along side Jake Taylor with Jake Reeves as the deeper of the three, and the away side had the better of the opening exchanges without finding any real way through the Crewe defence.

Their biggest problem in the first half was the gaps that were to be found out on the Boro right and it was down that flank that Crewe were given a great opportunity to take the lead.

A ball played over found Bassala Sambou in acres of room. He knocked it back inside and Terence Vancooten found himself wrong side of Tariq Uwakwe, the clumsy leg stuck out bringing the home forward down.

Conor Thomas placed it well enough and may only be disappointed with the power he put on the spot-kick.

Either way it was still a fabulous stop by Ashby-Hammond, diving away to his right to push it behind for a corner.

Steve Evans had felt the award was harsh and was further aggrieved when Earley went down at the other end with noting coming.

That earned him a booking and two minutes later he saw Crewe take the lead.

It was a simple goal for the hosts, McDonald connecting with a corner but from being the hero with the penalty stop, Ashby-Hammond let the header go through his hands and into the corner.

Crewe were buoyed by that goal and got in down the left again with Sambou, the Boro goalkeeper this time beating the ball away.

A third chance down the Stevenage right, the ball slipped inside the centre-half, ended with Dan Sweeney going into the book for a foul on the edge of the area.

Changes at least in tactics were expected after the break but manager Steve Evans opted to maintain the same playing staff.

Pushing Jake Taylor forward was the biggest difference, with Vancooten also moved to a defensive midfield role ahead of a back four.

But there hadn't been much time for those to be an influence when Boro equalised.

Earley did well to keep the ball alive and his cross into the box eventually landed at Taylor's feet.

He wriggled into a shooting position and when his effort was blocked, Luke Norris sent an effort to the left of Arthur Okonkwo.

The keeper got down to make the save but it only sent the ball slightly wide of goal and Reid was there to fire into the roof of the net.

The striker then put a low skidding effort just wide as Boro continued to press and it took eight minutes for Crewe to get back up the other end.

That did see them get in behind Boro on the same side as usual but a superb piece of defending by Sweeney got him back round ahead of Sambou and in position to make an excellent block.

Gilbey's afternoon ended on 62 minutes with cramp, not too surprising as he has hardly played this season with the Addicks.

But it didn't alter the visitors' pattern of play and they went in front with a moment to forget for the on-loan Arsenal keeper.

He dropped a ball back into the area as he looked to gather in traffic and it landed perfectly for Reid to knock into the empty net.

Jake Reeves had a good to chance to shoot from 25 yards but opted for a pass and Okonkwo needed to be quick to punch the ball off the head of Carl Piergianni.

The home fans not happy with the referee but it is their team that had failed to cope with the changes from Boro.

The frustrations continued into stoppage time as passes didn't go where the Crewe faithful wanted.

The full-time whistle brought boos from the home fans that had stayed. The Boro support though were well and truly chuffed.


Stevenage: Ashby-Hammond, James-Wildin, Reeves, Piergianni, Sweeney, Taylor, Norris (Read 90+2), Vancooten, Gilbey (Roberts 62), Reid, Earley.

Subs (not used): Chapman, Clark, Campbell, Smith, Amoo.

Goals: Reid 48, 67

Booked: Evans (bench) 25, Sweeney 37, Reeves 85


Crewe Alexandra: Okonkwo, Williams, McDonald, Offord, Thomas, Baker-Richardson, Ainley, Agyei, Sambou (Long 69), King, Uwakwe.

Subs (not used): Richards, Long, Finney, Leshabela, Sass-Davies, Finney, Tabiner.

Goal: McDonald 27

Booked: King 41, Thomas 76, Baker-Richardson 82


HT: Crewe Alexandra 1 Stevenage 0

Referee: Tom Nield (Barnsley)

Attendance: 3,669 (167 from Stevenage)