Crewe held Walsall to a 2-2 draw at Mornflake Stadium to extend their unbeaten start to the League Two season. Lee Bell hailed the result as a 'great advert for League Two' after his side fought back from two goals down to secure a point.
Josh March levelled the score five minutes after halftime with a finish from Joel Tabiner's crossfield pass. Reece Hutchinson then snatched an equaliser in stoppage time with a first-time effort from just inside the box. Crewe had sustained pressure in the second half after changing their setup, which Bell said worked for the team.
Lee Bell said: 'It was an excellent response from our players and we just didn’t chuck it up into the box, we kept trying to play it.' He added: 'We set up slightly differently in the second half and it worked for us.' Bell also praised Walsall's quality, stating he doubted there was a better League Two game that night. Walsall head coach Lee Grant acknowledged his side dominated the first half but criticised the mentality after retaking the lead, while crediting Crewe for their fightback.
Aaron Pressley scored twice for Walsall, including a 42nd-minute penalty after Josh Stephenson handled a cross from Charlie Crew. Tom Booth was sent the wrong way by the spot-kick. Pressley's tally reached five goals for the campaign. For Crewe, Callum Agius had several near misses, while Lee Grant completed his 15th summer signing ahead of the game. Antony Evans had joined Walsall from Bristol Rovers and Huddersfield.
The draw preserved unbeaten starts for both Crewe and Walsall in League Two. Crewe remain referred to as the Railwaymen and Walsall as the Saddlers. Lee Grant described the transfer business as exhausting and praised Pressley as one of the hardest-working players he has encountered, noting the striker is maximising his potential while Walsall aim to create more opportunities.
Crewe sit 11th in England League Two with 67 points from 46 games, a goal difference of +6 from 64 scored and 58 conceded, and are 20 points behind leaders Bromley. The team's recent form is DLLLW. They will look to build on this resilience as they prepare for upcoming fixtures, details of which can be found on our fixtures page.
