The Hatters’ chances of an historic treble remain well and truly ‘five alive’, after they blitzed Crewe at Edgeley Park to reach the Cheshire Senior Cup Final.
An early strike by Andy Cannon on his inaugural home appearance and a late first-half own goal put County in control of the tie against a young side from the League One club, before a Connor Jennings brace and a third goal in the competition for Alex Reid completed the rout.
The Hatters rang the changes completely for the third successive round, with not one player taking to the field who had started in National League action at Eastleigh three days earlier. The mix of senior and younger representatives included the three recently-arrived loanees – namely, Courtney Duffus and Zaine Francis-Angol, as well as Cannon – all of whom were making their full County debuts.
Jordan Keane was handed the captain’s armband for the first time – thereby becoming one of three different County skippers (with Liam Hogan and Sam Minihan) in the current season’s competition – and the bench once again comprised in its entirety players from the club’s Academy.
A flowing County move after five minutes saw County create the first chance of the evening, with Elliot Newby’s cross from the left finding Reid, who headed over.
Just over two minutes later, the Hatters’ second opportunity arrived – and it saw them go in front, as Cannon (ahem) fired home from 12 yards through a crowded box, after a shot by Jennings had been blocked.
Crewe, who had last lifted the trophy in 2017 (a year after bowing out in the Quarter-finals at EP to the eventual Cup-winning Hatters), looked to get back on level terms through Tyreece Onyeka before the quarter-hour mark, but his curling shot was cleanly held by Luca Ashby-Hammond.
Reid cleared the crossbar with another header – on this occasion, after connecting with an Ollie Crankshaw delivery from the right – and Jennings volleyed into Railway End orbit, following more good work on the left by Newby.
Crankshaw was running riot down the Pop Side, and soon stepped up as the next Hatter to try his luck by cutting in and unleashing a fierce shot that stung the hands of Will Jääskeläinen in front of the near post. And the visitors’ goalkeeper again came to the rescue shortly afterwards by palming another headed effort from Reid around the same upright.
With 10 minutes of the half remaining, Jääskeläinen continued to be kept on his toes as he gathered up low strikes in quick succession by Duffus and 17-year-old Cody Johnson. But in added time, he was powerless to prevent County from doubling the advantage, as another cross from Crankshaw on the right was turned by substitute Max Woodcock into his own net.
HALF-TIME: County 2 (Cannon, 7; Woodcock (o.g.), 45 + 1), Crewe 0.
The Hatters began the second half in much the same attacking vein as they had ended the first. An early free-kick after the resumption was delivered on the left by Newby to Keane, whose header under pressure soared narrowly wide of the far post. And Reid went close after connecting with a Cannon cross from the opposite flank.
Half a dozen minutes into the new half, County had a third goal after Cannon was brought down in the box by Sam Bhatti, Referee Kirk pointed to the spot without hesitation, and Jennings blasted the penalty into the roof of the net. And before the hour had struck, it was four for the Hatters and a brace for Jennings, who headed in Newby’s corner from the right.
Onyeka, who had executed Crewe’s sole first-half chance of note, twisted and turned on the left side of the County area, before dinking a shot that Ashby-Hammond held at full stretch. And the same Railwayman subsequently curled another effort beyond the far post from a similar position.
Eleven minutes of the match were left to play when Reid netted County’s fifth, with help from a deflection off central defender Lewis Billington that wrong-footed Jääskeläinen.
FULL-TIME: County 5 (Cannon, 7; Woodcock (o.g.), 45 + 1; Jennings, 51 (penalty) and 59; Reid, 79), Crewe 0.
Team (3-5-2): Ashby-Hammond; Keane (Capt.), Pye, Francis-Angol; Crankshaw (Green, 73), Cannon (Johnston, 59), C. Johnson, Jennings, Newby; Duffus (Alli, 68), Reid.
Unused Subs: Schofield, Barugh.
Man of the Match: Newby.
Attendance: 1,289.
Reporter: Gareth Evans.
Photographer: James Gill/Danehouse
