Tezgel’s Early Strike Sets Tempo as Crewe Brush Aside Liverpool U21, Seize EFL Trophy Group Lead at Mornflake Stadium

On a brisk October night in Cheshire, Crewe Alexandra found needed purpose and poise, dispatching Liverpool U21 with a 2-0 victory that not only soothed the sting of recent league setbacks but propelled the Railwaymen to the top of their EFL Trophy group. The scoreline, shaped by Emre Tezgel’s sharp early penalty and Dion Rankine’s composed finish, tells a story of a veteran League Two side asserting maturity and discipline against the ambitions of youthful Premier League prospects.

The contest at Mornflake Stadium began with an urgency that suggested both teams recognized an opportunity. For Crewe, this EFL Trophy opener arrived as a possible pivot: a tonic after dropping three of the last five in league play, most recently a tight 0-1 defeat to Bromley that exposed attacking anxieties. For Liverpool’s U21s, the night was a proving ground for a youthful side learning hard lessons in a campaign peppered with near-misses and slim margins.

The pivotal moment arrived as early as the 11th minute. Crewe, pushing forward with controlled intent, worked the ball into the Liverpool penalty area, where a clumsy challenge left referee no option but to point to the spot. Emre Tezgel, calm amid the noise, stepped to the mark and dispatched the penalty low and true—his first for the club, and a statement that Crewe would not be undermined by their recent patchy form. The celebration that followed carried the undercurrent of relief as much as joy, a team eager to reset its narrative.

Liverpool’s U21s, undaunted, responded with bursts of energy familiar to those who follow development football on Merseyside: intricate passing moves sparked by midfielders unafraid to show for the ball, flashes of pace out wide. Yet, Crewe’s experienced back line, marshaled with authority, snuffed out the threat before it could draw keeper into drastic action. The visitors’ best period followed the opener, but an equalizer would remain elusive.

On the half-hour, Crewe struck again with the kind of incisive play that had been missing in their recent league outings. Dion Rankine, lively and direct from the first whistle, latched onto a neatly threaded ball after a slick interchange in midfield. His acceleration took him clear of the recovering defense, and his finish—low, clinical, unerring—left Liverpool’s young goalkeeper without answer. At 2-0, Crewe had not only a buffer but clear psychological command.

For a Liverpool side that had conceded first in four of their last five outings, including a stinging defeat at the hands of Burton Albion in this very competition, the pattern was familiar—and frustrating. Opportunities came but rarely threatened to alter the story. Kaide Gordon, ever the creative spark for the visitors, tried in vain to ignite a comeback, but the balance of the match rarely wavered from Crewe’s grasp.

Discipline reigned on a night otherwise short on controversy. The referee kept his cards in pocket, and neither side drifted into the desperation that sometimes colours cup ties between youthful promise and grizzled league resolve.

As the contest wound towards its close, Crewe’s command became absolute, their midfield content to recycle possession and their defense quick to smother any hint of a Liverpool counter. The result puts Crewe not simply atop their EFL Trophy group—three points clear after one match—but plants a flag in a season where confidence has sometimes seemed just beyond their grasp.

For the visiting Reds, tonight’s defeat continues an autumn wobble. Just one point from the last four across all competitions, a run that has underlined both the promise and the inexperience in Barry Lewtas’s side. In the EFL Trophy, where progress hinges on narrow margins, starting with back-to-back defeats—tonight’s setback following a 0-2 loss at Burton—sets a tall order for qualification.

Crewe, meanwhile, will look to harness this momentum with a keen eye to sustaining their cup run and restoring form in the league. Rankine’s growing influence, paired with Tezgel’s arrival as a composed penalty taker, offers cause for optimism. Their immediate reward is top billing in the standings, a buffer that may prove decisive in a group where every point counts.

Liverpool U21 will need to regroup quickly. The focus now turns to halting their slide in Premier League 2 and salvaging aspirations in this competition—a challenge not unfamiliar to youth squads making the transition to senior football’s sharper edges.

For both teams, tonight mattered more than the sum of its goals. In cup football, the margins are small but the stakes—whether for confidence, development, or silverware—remain enduringly large.