A late goal from Dan Agyei would see Crewe Alexandra pick up a point away from home at Hartlepool United last night after Josh Umerah gave the hosts a first-half lead from the penalty spot.
Manager Alex Morris made one change from the last game against Stevenage 10 days ago as full-back Kelvin Mellor returned after a little knock that kept him out of that game coming in for forward Bassala Sambou, who dropped down to the bench, where he would be joined by Rio Adebisi who returns to the matchday squad for the first time this season. Former Alex loanee Callum Cooke started in midfield for the hosts.
The hosts had the opening chance of the game in the 10th minute with Wes McDonald firing over from the edge of the area before Pool would win a penalty in the 33rd minute as Callum Ainley brought down a player on the edge of the area with Josh Umerah smashing the ball into the top corner of the goal despite Okonkwo going the right way.
After a half-time change that saw Sambou replace the ineffectual Ainley, the Alex would grow into the game with Courtney Baker-Richardson heading a Tariq Uwakwe free-kick wide before Khanya Leshabela would replace Conor Thomas in midfield just before the hour-mark. Sambou would get on the end of a Zac Williams cross with his effort straight at keeper Killip before the Welsh youth international would be replaced by Charlie Finney, on for his league debut, at left-back with 10 minutes to play. The change would result in the equaliser 4 minutes from time with the younger Finney squaring for Agyei to finish from close range.
The next games for the Alex sees a couple of home games, firstly against Crawley Town in the league on Saturday before a game against Leeds United’s Under-21s in the EFL Trophy next Tuesday.
What can we take out of this game?
It was a game that saw us get away with a point after a poor performance before Hartlepool dropped off and allowed us the initiative. Good to see Finney come off the bench and set up the leveller (making a run that natural full-backs might not make) after playing an hour for the Under-21s on Monday in a position that he’s filling in at due to injuries.
Victoria Park
League 2
13/09/2022 8:45 pm
Attendance: 4002
Referee: Martin Coy
| Hartlepool United | Crewe Alexandra | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Umerah | Agyei | ||||||
| Killip | Owonkwo | ||||||
| Menayese | Mellor | ||||||
| Lacey | Offord | ||||||
| Murray | McDonald | ||||||
| Tumilty | 87 | Williams | 80 | ||||
| Niang | Thomas | 57 | |||||
| Cooke | 73 | King | |||||
| Paterson | Agyei | ||||||
| Crawford | Ainley | 46 | |||||
| McDonald | 77 | Uwakwe | |||||
| Umerah | Baker-Richardson | ||||||
Substitutes |
|||||||
| Letheren | Richards | ||||||
| Ferguson | Adebisi | ||||||
| Shelton | 87 | Leshabela | 57 | ||||
| Hastie | Sambou | 46 | |||||
| Grey | 73 | Sass-Davies | |||||
| Ndjoli | C. Finney | 80 | |||||
| Odour | 77 | Tabiner | |||||
Game Statistics |
||
| 15 | Goal attempts | 11 |
| 5 | On Target | 3 |
| 4 | Corners | 2 |
| 11 | Fouls | 9 |
| 0 | Yellow Cards | 1 |
| 0 | Red Cards | 0 |
| 46 | % | 54 |