Stoke secured local bragging rights after a great team display allowed them to complete a comfortable 2-0 victory over Crewe at the Michelin.

The Potters produced a fine display right through the team with everybody contributing towards the win.

Stoke were on top for long periods of the game, including from the kick off, and could have taken the lead early on as Moult tested the keeper from 25 yards before Diao-Jiminez, Urwin and Moult all had goalbound shots blocked by despairing last ditch defending as the home side turned the screw on their near neighbours.

The Potters continued to press and Moult curled a 25 yard free kick just over the bar after Nathaniel Wedderburn's driving run had been unfairly halted by the visitors.

The Alex had their first effort just before the 20-minute mark when a scramble in the Potters penalty area saw the ball hooked towards goal only for goalkeeper Tom Harrison to show excellent reactions to divert the ball away.

However, the ball fell straight back to a Crewe player and, as he looked set to strike the ball towards goal, Rodney McDonald took the ball off his toes and calmly cleared the ball away from danger.

Louis Moult nearly made Crewe pay for a sloppy pass in the midfield as he picked up the loose ball and powered his way past two defenders before seeing his pull back cut out at the near post, with Warwick Alexander and Andy Nicholls waiting behind.

Matt Cohen attempted to trap a long Crewe clearance on 25 minutes but slipped as he controlled the ball.

The Crewe centre forward was alert and picked up the ball but McDonald used his superior pace to get across and slow down the attacker, allowing Cohen to recover, and the striker was forced to shoot from outside the box, but Harrison still had to get down well to stop the effort from nestling in the net.

The Potters were still having the majority of the possession and crisp passing was allowing them to dominate the midfield exchanges, but the final ball was just lacking a little as they looked for the opener.

Potters leading scorer Alexander had his first sight of goal on 33 minutes but his turn and shot was easily held by the keeper.

The Potters appealed for a penalty on 36 minutes as Wedderburn picked up Diao-Jiminez's pass and dribbled past 3 players before being sandwiched to the floor. He looked towards the officials but the Potters had to settle for a corner.

The Potters pressure finally paid dividends a minute before half time as Diao-Jiminez and Urwin played a neat one-two on the right wing before the Dutch full back picked out Alexander on the edge of the box.

The burly hit-man struck his shot first time and watched it curl away from the keeper and in off the far post to give him his 5^th of the season.

Alexander could have doubled the lead 3 minutes after half time but his flicked header, from a Moult cross, was cleared off the line by a retreating defender.

The Potters did double their advantage just before the hour mark as Urwin harassed the full back before blocking the attempted clearance.

The Potters winger then seized on the loose ball and drilled it low into the bottom corner from 16 yards.

Crewe threw everything forward as they looked for a way back into the game and Harrison had to get down well to gather a grasscutter from the visitors left back after he had abandoned his defensive duties to try and get his team back in the game.

Stoke were now allowing the visitors more of the ball and keeping their shape before hitting their opponents on the break and they nearly got a 3^rd with a quarter of an hour left as Nicholls cut out a cross field pass and put a superbly weighted ball out to the right for Urwin to run onto and surge towards goal.

Urwin dribbled towards the edge of the box before rolling the ball into Alexander. The Potters striker held off three defenders, and attracted two more, before pulling the ball back to Jack Harrison, who was one of three unmarked Potters players on the edge of the box.

The left footed winger miscued his effort though and it scewed well wide before he was replaced by Adam Vickers.

Vickers soon got involved and a Potters breakaway saw just one defender back as Vickers chipped the ball into Moult.

The pass was slightly heavy and once Moult had controlled it and brought it back inside another defender had recovered enough to combine with the keeper to block his effort away.

The Potters had enough time to spurn one more opportunity as Alexander brought the ball down and played in Urwin.

Urwin beat three men before returning the ball to Alexander, who had found space 12 yards from goal. Alexander's golden touch deserted him though and he scuffed his effort, the ball bobbling just wide of the box.

Stoke(4-4-2): T.Harrison, Diao-Jiminez(Stockdale 89), Vauls, Cohen, McDonald, Urwin, J.Harrison(Vickers 76), Wedderburn, Nicholls, Moult, Alexander(Page 89)

The young Potters postponed home game against Sheffield Wednesday has been rescheduled for Friday 28^th November.

By Dan Buxton