Leigh rocket launches Crewe

Steve Davis hailed a wonder strike from Greg Leigh which lifted the Gresty Road faithful in Crewe's 2-0 win over Scunthorpe.

Leigh's second-half thunderbolt was followed swiftly by a thumping header from Marcus Haber as Davis' side earned their first win in five games to put a 4-0 midweek thrashing by Rochdale behind them. Before then Crewe had laboured to move out of first gear and their boss was critical of the club's fans for failing to lift his players. "It needed something like Greg's goal to change it for us as I thought it was heading for a 0-0," said Davis. "We started the second half really well and they couldn't live with that. "But it was very quiet and Greg's strike woke everybody up. The crowd hadn't got behind us before that, which I was a bit disappointed with. "It was one of those roof-raising strikes - and he'd done that in training on Friday." Davis added: "It was a massive three points for us. Tuesday's defeat at Rochdale was a disappointment for us and we're delighted to bounce back from that." Both sides looked short of ideas in a dismal first 45 minutes, in which Nicky Ajose had the best chances for the home side, forcing an early save from Scunthorpe goalkeeper Luke Daniels but then prodding wide from 10 yards after being set up by Anthony Grant. Scunthorpe's leading goalscorer Paddy Madden skied a good chance and later failed to connect with Liam O'Neil's driven cross from a couple of yards out. Gary McSheffrey offered the occasional touch of class befitting his pedigree, with the former Coventry and Birmingham attacker floating a free-kick from distance on to the roof of the net. Grant went close for Crewe when he rifled a left-footed shot the wrong side of the post. The game picked up pace after the restart, with a blockbuster from young James Jones forcing a great save out of Daniels. Daniels was powerless to keep out Leigh's shot, which crashed into the top corner in the 54th-minute after Scunthorpe had failed to clear a corner. The game swiftly changed and before the visitors could compose themselves Haber's far-post header from Oliver Turton's well-flighted cross flew in for the second goal. The outstanding Jones went close to netting a third with a swerving left-footed drive which crept just over. Scunthorpe manager Mark Robins said: "I think if we'd played until midnight we'd not have scored. "We needed to be a bit quicker as we got into good areas, but there was not enough quality in the penalty area. "But there was nothing in it apart from a wonder strike that went in on a postage stamp into the top corner. "They got the second straight after that and it killed the game. "There was very little between the sides and when that is the case it's really important to try and get the first goals. "But we've got a week now before we go to Sheffield United so that gives us time to do a bit of work ."