A goal by substitute Chuma Anene was enough for Crewe Alexandra to get their second straight draw in the league against league-leaders Exeter City at the Alexandra Stadium yesterday afternoon.
Manager David Artell made 2 changes from last Saturday’s draw at Cheltenham Town with Olly Lancashire and Owen Dale returning to the starting 11 with the suspended Perry Ng and Daniel Powell replaced. The former saw Nicky Hunt move to right-back while Powell dropped down to the bench where he was joined by Paul Green, back after a 3-game suspension picked up in the home game against Cambridge United 3 weeks ago.
The first chance came in the 2nd minute of the game with a corner taken by Randell Williams short to Archie Collins with a back-post cross turned in from close range by the unmarked Dean Moxey before the first Alex chance came on the 14th minute with James Jones shooting wide following a good cross from Harry Pickering. After more chances for the visitors from Bowman and Lee Martin brought saves out of Jaaskelainen, Charlie Kirk had an opportunity 5 minutes before the break which he curled over but the Alex were second best by a distance before the break.
Into the second half where left-back Jack Sparkes produced a decent save from Jaaskelainen with a drive from outside the area before the introduction of Powell for Dale mid-way through the second half was the turning point in the game. After a 1-2 between Pickering and Jones got the former in down the left, his cross was almost turned in by Powell at the back-post before the winger set up a chance for Tom Lowery whose effort was saved by Lewis Ward.
The Alex levelled with 15 minutes to play with Kirk’s left-wing cross headed by a defender at Anene with the substitute scoring after a ricochet took it back into his path and, despite plenty of pressure from the hosts, the game finished level.
We travel to Mansfield Town in the EFL Trophy on Tuesday night before a trip to Carlisle United in the league next Saturday.
What can we take out of this game?
Similar to the last home game against Salford really. We’ve conceded from an early set-piece where we switch off with the runner at the back post (think it was Lancashire who was marking Moxey before the set-piece was taken) and we were given the run-around for the whole first half with Exeter wondering how they were only the one goal in front.
Dale was good but lacked a little end-product that’ll come with game-time while Powell was more direct and, on another day, might have got on the scoresheet and set up a goal. It was good to see Green back on the pitch and I think that he’ll play (at least most of) the 90 minutes on Tuesday night against Mansfield but I’d like to see someone else play at full-back if Ng isn’t available as Hunt didn’t have a great game as the fill-in and we missed Perry’s athletism at right-back.