Alex head towards another win

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Crewe Alexandra maintained their unbeaten record during pre-season with a 1-0 triumph against Barnsley at Gresty Road.

Defender Adam Dugdale headed the winner from a nineteenth minute free-kick delivered by Ashley Westwood.

Barnsley pressed for an equaliser during the second-half but goalkeeper Alan Martin successfully kept them at bay.

Abdul Osman was a surprise inclusion for the hosts after recovering from a knock sustained in the weekend draw at Tamworth, while striker AJ Leitch-Smith also defied a broken toe to appear.

Crewe's in-form marksman Mathias Pogba glanced an early header wide and Martin denied Scott Hogan at the other end before Dugdale followed up his recent winner against Huddersfield Town by getting on the end of Westwood's free-kick to open the scoring.

Stephen Dawson curled wide in reply after Martin had failed to properly clear while Alex substitute Luke Murphy dragged an early second-half attempt behind.

Home keeper Martin was then forced to deal with efforts from Dawson (twice), Hogan and Bobby Hassell, with Harry Davis in turn sidefooting over and Byron Moore lobbing straight at Barnsley keeper Ben Alnwick.

Back came the visitors and Martin turned aside from Tomasz Cywka before snatching a dangerous Chris Dagnall cross inside the six-yard box.

Martin also dealt well with a deflected Lee Collins free-kick until Crewe match-winner Dugdale glanced a late header wide of the far post.

Crewe Alexandra: Martin, Davis, Ellis, Dugdale, Robertson, Westwood (Turton), Osman, Moore (White), Leitch-Smith (Murphy), M. Clayton, Pogba

Goals: Dugdale (19)

Barnsley: Alnwick, Hassell, Sonko, Collins, Noble-Lazarus, Clark, Dawson, Digby, Cywa, Dagnall, Hogan

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