Friendlies Clubs· Season 2026
Crewe Alexandra beat AFC Telford United 3-0 in a pre-season friendly at the SEAH Stadium, with goals from Lankester, Gibson and March.
Match Videos
Match Analysis
AI SummaryHow it unfolded
Crewe held the better of the possession without creating a glut of clear chances in the opening half-hour. The breakthrough came from a dead ball situation in the 39th minute: a foul on the Crewe No.10 earned a free kick a yard outside the 18-yard box, wide on the right. Jack Lankester — the 25-year-old attacking midfielder who joined Crewe in 2024 — struck it over the wall and inside the left post, beyond Telford goalkeeper Hall.
Telford had a bright moment of their own before the break. Charlie Williams turned on the edge of the box, lost his marker and fired just wide of the keeper's right post in the seventh minute — the best chance for either side in the opening period.
Crewe doubled the lead inside 60 seconds of the second half. A cross from the right found Jordan Gibson, who headed comfortably past Hall in the centre of goal. The goal forced Telford manager Kevin Wilkin to chase the game, and he made eight substitutions in the 62nd minute — including Dylan Mitchell, Rhys Hilton and Zak Lilly — a move that inevitably opened the game up.
Crewe had a goal disallowed for offside in the 59th minute after cutting through the Telford defence and finishing to Hall's right, but the flag was correctly raised before the changes took effect.
Josh March sealed the result in the 84th minute. The former Leamington striker — who once scored a hat-trick on this same ground — intercepted a risky pass from Lilly and beat Hall one-on-one to make it 3-0.
The Crewe goalkeeper was called into action late on, saving at his near post to deny Telford a consolation goal in the final minute.
The turning point
Crewe's goal 46 seconds into the second half. Telford had held firm after Lankester's first-half opener, and the interval gave Wilkin's side a chance to reset. Gibson's quick header — a routine cross converted unchallenged — deflated any hopes of a Telford response and forced the home side to chase the game, which opened the spaces March exploited later.
Key performers
- Jack Lankester (Crewe) — opened the scoring with a well-struck free kick from just outside the box and linked midfield to attack effectively throughout. The provider's only named goal contributor in the first half.
- Jordan Gibson (Crewe) — his header seconds after the restart effectively killed the contest as a competitive fixture.
- Josh March (Crewe) — came off the bench to score the third with a composed one-on-one finish, capping a lively cameo.
Player of the match: Jordan Gibson — his goal set the decisive tone for the second half.
By the numbers — interpreted
The provider payload records three goals and zero cards, reflecting a clean, competitive friendly with no ill-discipline. Crewe led 1-0 at half-time and added two more after the break, a pattern that reflects their higher division status. Telford's eight substitutions in the 62nd minute disrupted any rhythm they had built, but also reflected the pre-season priority of minutes over result. The absence of assist data in the provider payload is a gap — likely a quirk of friendly coverage rather than unassisted goals.
What it means
Crewe concluded their pre-season schedule with a third unbeaten outing in the 2026/27 build-up, following draws with Prescot Cables (0-0) and Stoke City (1-1) on 18 July, and a win over Witton Albion (3-2) on 11 July. Lee Bell's side will be pleased with the clean sheet and three different scorers. Their League Two campaign begins on the opening weekend of August, with fixtures to be confirmed.
AFC Telford United, managed by Kevin Wilkin, have one more home pre-season fixture — against Walsall on 25 July — before their National League North opener at home to Brackley Town on 8 August 2026. Wilkin used a large squad with several trialists on show and will have seen enough to make final decisions on his retained group ahead of the season proper.
Verdict
A professional, no-fuss pre-season win for a League Two side against a National League North opponent. Crewe were never troubled and scored at sensible intervals. For Telford, the scoreline is secondary to the fitness work and trialist evaluation. The gap between the divisions was visible but not embarrassing for the hosts.
Match Events
Key match events between AFC Telford United and Crewe — 3 goals and 0 cards recorded during the match.
Statistics are for informational purposes only. Past performance does not guarantee future results.
API data: 22 Jul 2026