Chris Porter strikes late as Crewe secure final-day win over Shrewsbury

Posted Sunday, May 09, 2021 by PA

A late Chris Porter goal secured Crewe victory in a five-goal season finale against Shrewsbury.

The Railwaymen had their two-goal advantage rubbed out by Salop in an entertaining first-half at Gresty Road. But veteran frontman Porter squeezed a winner home soon after coming off the bench to secure Crewe a 12th-placed finish.

Crewe were ahead in the 10th minute with a clinical finish from Mikael Mandron, who drove low into the far corner after being set up by a diagonal pass from Charlie Kirk.

Matthew Pennington saved Harry Burgoyne’s blushes after the Salop keeper failed to hold onto Owen Dale’s stinging drive. The ball was spinning towards the goal before the defender booted clear.

But Pennington didn’t do so well when clearing his lines as Mandron grabbed a second. The centre-half’s clearance spun back off an opponent and landed nicely for the striker who lashed a volley into the roof of the net.

Shaun Whalley halved the deficit in the 34th-minute as he cut in from the left and curled a fine right-footed finish into the far corner.

And a slick exchange of passes put Daniel Udoh in to strike a 42nd-minute equaliser. Ollie Norburn and Whalley combined with Norburn making the decisive ball, which left Udoh to surge clear and finish against his former club.

After the restart Pennington went close for the visitors with a glancing header from a Goss corner.

But Crewe signed off their campaign with a 10th home success when Porter was presented with a simple tap-in after Burgoyne deflected Kirk’s shot onto the near post nine minutes from time.