Two stoppage time strikes condemned the Blues to a disappointing New Year’s Day defeat.
United made three changes from Sunday’s home win against Accrington Stanley - Aaron Hayden, Jordan Jones and Kadeem Harris were replaced by Sam Lavelle, Harrison Neal and Jack Ellis.
The aforementioned Ellis netted his first goal for United before Chris Long found the net before the break to level the score. The second-half provided plenty more goals - starting with Kadeem Harris restoring the visitors’ lead, prior to substitutes Omar Bogle and Jack Lankester both finding the net late on to turn the game on it’s head.
On 5 minutes, Crewe Alexandra had their first big opening of the contest. Shilow Tracey found himself in space down down the hosts’ right but Sam Lavelle managed to get across and block his effort.
Soon after, Jon Mellish received the ball down the left following a marauding run and his low shot forced Filip Marschall into a save. Before Tracey looked to expose the visitors at the opposite end, and was dealt with once again by Lavelle.
Dan Adu-Adjei would have the next shot on goal but his effort was blocked behind for a corner which came to nothing. The ball was initially won following some great pressure from Luke Armstrong.
Chances continued to fall for the Blues in the minutes which followed. Harrison Biggins’ corner was cleared and sat up for Dominic Sadi on the edge of the Railwaymen’s area, but he blasted way over the bar.
United took the lead on 21 minutes. Biggins’ deep delivery found Jack Ellis at the far post, who nodded his header into the ground, and it looped over Marschall’s head leaving Crewe’s goalkeeper stranded and unable to make the stop.
The hosts restored parity 11 minutes later, Christopher Long got the better of Ben Barclay and despite Gabe Breeze getting a strong hand on the ball, it fell into the back of the net.
After being shown a yellow card moments earlier, Zac Williams tried his luck from outside the United area, Breeze got down low and tipped the attempt around his post just before the break.
HALF-TIME: Crewe Alexandra 1-1 United
The first chance of the second-half came on 57 minutes for Crewe forward Long, whose effort flew off target from outside the box.
Just after the hour-mark, Ryan Cooney should’ve put the Railwaymen ahead. A cross from the left found the right-back in the centre of the box, a few yards out, but his connection landed straight in Breeze’s arms.
22 minutes from time, Kadeem Harris started and ended a wonderful passing move which also included Sadi, United’s number 40 looked to deliver to Armstrong but the ball was turned behind for a corner - which ultimately came to nothing.
On 73 minutes, Biggins had two wonderful chances to restore the Cumbrians’ advantage, firstly firing wide before finding himself through and instead of shooting, the midfielder looked to find Armstrong but the ball rolled out of play.
As we approached the final ten at Mornflake Stadium, Kadeem Harris was at it winning the ball back again - like he did in the build-up to Armstrong’s goal against Accrington Stanley. The substitute found the on-running Armstrong, who cut it back and Harris slotted home superbly to re-establish United’s lead.
In the dying embers the hosts should’ve been level, a shot from the edge of the box was saved by Breeze and fell into the path of Omar Bogle, who fired wide from point-blank range.
Three minutes into stoppage time, the Railwaymen found their route back into the game and it was Bogle who was the scorer having missed a sitter moments earlier, nodding Crewe level at the back post.
And that wasn’t the end, deep into stoppage time substitute Jack Lankester won it for the hosts to break United hearts.
FULL-TIME: Crewe Alexandra 3-2 United
Teams:
Crewe Alexandra - Marschall, Cooney (71’ Finney), Knight-Lebel, Williams (46’ Connolly), Demetriou ©, Sanders, Long (72’ Bogle), Tracey (67’ Lankester), Tabiner (83’ Powell), Holicek, Conway
Unused subs - Booth, Lunt
United - Breeze, Harper (58’ Harris), Lavelle ©, Biggins, Adu-Adjei (82’ Charters), Neal, Ellis (59’ Jones), Mellish, Sadi (82’ Burey), Barclay, Armstrong
Unused subs - Smith, Hayden, Dudik
Goals:
Crewe Alexandra - (32’ Long), (90+3’ Bogle), (90+8’ Lankester)
United - (21’ Ellis), (78’ Harris)
Yellow cards:
Crewe Alexandra - (35’ Williams), (87’ Knight-Lebel), (90+2’ Connolly)
United - (8’ Lavelle), (53’ Neal), (84’ Breeze), (90+6’ Biggins)
Red cards:
Crewe Alexandra - N/A
United - N/A
Match officials:
Referee - Simon Mather
Assistant Referee - Jack Forder-Hay
Assistant Referee - Steven Plane
Fourth Official - Thomas Harty
Attendance:
6,345 (924 away)
