Stockport sweep aside Crewe to make Carabao Cup progress

League One Stockport progressed to the Carabao Cup second round with a comfortable 3-1 win over Crewe.

Second-half headers from Kyle Wootton and Nathan Lowe plus Lewis Fiorini’s strike secured victory for the hosts at Edgeley Park to dump out the League Two Railwaymen, whose late consolation came from Emre Tezgel.

Crewe’s Adrien Thibaut had sight of goal after five minutes but hooked over, while Wootton’s header forced a superb fingertip save from Burnley loanee Sam Waller.

Waller’s reflexes denied Odin Bailey an opener in the 25th minute and Callum Connolly nodded inches wide from the following corner.

Lowe’s 39th-minute header glanced wide and Waller parried the Stoke loanee’s deflected effort before half-time.

County deservedly went ahead four minutes into the second half after Owen Dodgson headed across goal for Wootton to nod home.

Stockport doubled their advantage three minutes later when Lowe glanced in Dodgson’s cross.

Tezgel tested County goalkeeper Ben Hinchliffe before Fiorini’s sublime goal from outside the box with 13 minutes left.

Crewe’s Tommi O’Reilly could have netted five minutes from full-time, but fellow substitute Oliver Armstrong inadvertently blocked the shot.

But Tezgel did net Crewe’s consolation moments later by turning an 86th-minute cross home.