Josh Stephenson's left-footed finish deep into added time rescued a point for Crewe Alexandra in a 1-1 draw at Colchester United. The Railwaymen extended their unbeaten run in League Two to five matches with the last-gasp equaliser, which came from a Lewis Billington assist in the third minute of stoppage time.
A frustrating first half
Crewe had started brightly, with Joe White and Jack Lankester testing the home defence early on. But it was Colchester who struck first after 27 minutes when Harry Anderson headed home from Oscar Thorn's cross. Anderson nearly doubled the lead just before the interval, but his effort went wide.
Booth keeps Crewe in it
Colchester began the second half strongly, forcing goalkeeper Tom Booth into action. He made a low save from Jack Payne shortly after the restart and later denied efforts from Ellis Iandolo and Moses Sesay. The home side came closest to a second when Oscar Thorn's fierce shot struck the post, with Crewe surviving the scramble that followed.
Late drama at the JobServe
As the game entered added time, Crewe's persistence paid off. A failure to clear their lines by the Colchester defence allowed the ball to reach Lewis Billington, who set up Josh Stephenson for a crisp left-footed finish to level the scores. The goal sparked celebrations among the travelling supporters and secured a valuable away point.
The result leaves Crewe eighth in the League Two table with 10 points from six matches, just two points behind leaders Barnet. Their recent form shows a team hard to beat, with four draws and one loss in their last five outings.
Manager Lee Bell will likely view the late fightback as a positive sign of character, though he will want to turn more of these draws into wins. The team's next challenge is a home fixture, with the full run of games available on our fixtures page. Stephenson's decisive contribution, his first of the campaign, ensures Crewe travel back from Essex with something to show for their efforts.
