Chris Porter’s 50th goal for Crewe Alexandra was not enough to get a victory against fellow strugglers Doncaster Rovers at the Alexandra Stadium last night thanks to Joseph Olowu’s first-half stoppage-time leveler.
Manager David Artell made three changes from Saturday’s 4-1 home defeat against MK Dons with Dave Richards returning in goal, Billy Sass-Davies and Terell Thomas came into the defence while Porter and Scott Kashket were part of a front 3. Will Jaaskelainen, Mika Mandron, Donervon Daniels and J’Neil Bennett dropped to the bench while Callum McFadzean didn’t make the matchday 18.
The opening chance of the game came in the 13th minute with Joe Dodoo shooting straight at Richards for the visitors before Olowu would be allowed to carry the ball a distance but his shot was wayward. The Alex took the lead in the 33rd minute with Tom Lowery’s cross kept alive at the far post by Sass-Davies allowing Porter to head home from 5 yards out before the equaliser came in the fourth minute of stoppage-time with a cross coming in for defender Olowu to score from close-range.
Doncaster had an opportunity to take the lead in the 58th minute but Manchester United loanee Ethan Galbraith was denied by Richards before Luke Offord would make an important block with 10 minutes to play.
Our next couple of games see the Alex play at home twice, first Swindon Town on Saturday in the FA Cup before playing Wolverhampton Wanderers’ Under-21s next Tuesday in the EFL Trophy.
What can we take out of this game?
Well, we didn’t lose…
It was a game that we needed to win (as Artell and Murphy had said in the build-up to the game) and we failed to do so against a team that was there for the taking – let’s be clear that would also apply if we were sat in the away stand too – where there was very little quality on show from either team.