It was another highly disappointing away day for Pools this afternoon as Crewe Alexandra ran out comfortable 3-1 winners.
Despite a very bright start from Pools, they failed to maintain the momentum and two first-half goals from Nicky Maynard left them with a mountain to climb.
A late Joel Porter effort proved merely a consolation for Wilson's men as Tom Pope hit a third late on to seal the win.
Pools started right where they had left off at Tranmere this afternoon by bursting into life here at Gresty Road.
With some quick neat passing and bright, busy play, Wilson's men set out their stalls from the off and left the hosts struggling to cope.
And the best chance of this opening period fell to Antony Sweeney as Joe, Porter flicked a ball into the box over the head of the defender for the arriving Sweeney on the right side of the area.
The ball fell perfectly for the midfielder but his volleyed effort went just over the bar.
Pools' lively and quite dominant opening to the game clearly had the hosts rattled and it took Crewe around fifteen minutes to find their way into the game.
Unfortunately, when they did get into the game, the hosts made their pressure count when they took the lead with just twenty minutes on the clock.
Alexandra had threatened Pools with a couple of chances leading up to the opener - a low shot from Nicky Maynard edged just wide of the post while Michael O'Connor went even closer with a header from a Kenny Lunt corner kick.
A ball into the box from George Abbey on the right found Maynard in the box and the tricky forward took a good touch before slotting home a right-footed effort past the out-stretched Arran Lee-Barrett to make it 1-0.
Things were then made even worse for Pools just nine minutes later when the hosts made it 2-0 with some poor defending from Wilson's men in the build-up.
Once again it was Maynard who hit the back of the net - when Tom Pope arrived in the centre of the area to head in at goal, Lee-Barrett got down to just tip his effort onto the post - but with the ball just rolling across the goal line, Maynard reacted first to just tap over the line for his second of the game.
Now it was Pools who were firmly on the back foot as they faced a 2-0 deficit but with an hour of the game remaining, there was certainly time for more goals.
But with Crewe not in confident mood, it wasn't going to be easy and the game was almost put right out of reach for Pools when O'Connor fired in from just inside the box but luckily his effort curled just wide of the post.
Sam Collins had the ball in the back of the net from a Humphreys corner kick as Pools looked to fight back but his effort was ruled out for a foul in the box.
Joel Porter was brought down inside the area only for the referee to wave away all appeals for a spot kick and though the Aussie striker recovered to get a shot in, his curling effort went over the bar.
And so Wilson's men went into the break with some work to be done if they are to find a way back into this game.
Crewe had a great chance to add a third shortly after the re-start when Nicky Maynard broke forward with only Lee-Barrett to beat but strong pressure from Antwi, who got back quickly, did enough to allow the keeper to snatch possession away from the Crewe striker's feet.
Another break away by the hosts saw Dean Morgan put a dangerous ball into the box but Lee-Barrett got up well to nick possession and deny a third goal.
Although Pools did enjoy spells of possession in the second half, there were few clear-cut chances on goal and Ben Williams in the Crewe goal was rarely called into action.
Andy Monkhouse tried his luck with a drive from twenty-five yards out, hoping to catch the keeper out but Williams did just enough to scramble it clear.
As the game progressed, the referee and his officials made a series of questionable decisions which affected the flow of the game for both teams, much to the frustration of all concerned.
Pools gave themselves a glimmer of hope in the fixture in the 82nd minute when sub James Brown fed the ball through well for Porter who went through one-one-one with Williams and showed great calmness to slot home into the corner of the net.
But that hope was short-lived for Pools as Crewe pushed forward themselves to restore their two-goal advantage just four minutes later.
A Kenny Lunt corner kick from the left sailed high into the box where Tom Pope rose highest to power a header past Lee-Barrett to make it 3-1.
And so Pools lost out once again in the road and Danny Wilson now has just two days to rally his troops for the Easter Monday clash with Yeovil Town at The Vic.
Att: 4412
Pools: Lee-Barrett, Antwi, Collins, Nelson, Humphreys (Robson 75), Sweeney, Boland (Foley 56) Liddle, Monkhouse, Mackay (Brown 56), Porter
Subs Not Used: Ellott, Clark
Crewe Alexandra: Williams, Woodards, Roberts, Baudet, O'Connor, Maynard (Moore 79), Pope, Abbey, Boyle, Lunt, Morgan (Anyinsah 78)
Subs Not Used: OF Williams, Schumacher, Bailey
