Colchester United drew 1-1 with Crewe Alexandra at the JobServe Community Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
Harry Anderson grabbed his second goal at home this season in the first half, but Crewe’s Joshua Stephenson found a 93rd minute equaliser after the U’s failed to build on their lead.
Danny and Nicky Cowley named an unchanged line-up from the side that started so well against Swindon Town at the County Ground a week earlier, with Jay Williams and Kylian Kouassi making home debuts. Thimothée Lo-Tutala remained in goal, Ellis Iandolo, Sean Raggett, Jack Tucker, and Rob Hunt formed the defence, J.Williams, Moses Sesay, and Jack Payne in midfield, with Harry Anderson, Oscar Thorn, and Kouassi making the attack.
Crewe started on the front foot with Joe White taking a shot from outside the box which went narrowly wide of the post.
The U’s grew into the game from there with Sesay getting onto a loose ball and flashing a volley across the face of goal.
The breakthrough came not long after as Thorn drove down the right wing and crossed the ball to the back post where Anderson charged past his marker and rose to put Col U in front with a header.
On the cusp of half-time, Crewe pushed for an equaliser but a tame Jack Lankester effort was comfortably collected by Lo-Tutala.
The U’s returned from the break with attacking intent. Payne took the ball off Kouassi to shoot from the edge of the box into goalkeeper Tom Booth’s hands before Thorn played a great ball across the box for the arriving Iandolo, but the full-back’s shot was off-target.
Kouassi came very close to doubling the lead for the U’s and his second goal for the Club, but he glanced a header over the bar from six yards out.
At the other end of the pitch, Crewe still posed a threat. With the U’s not completely dealing with a dangerous corner ball, the Railwaymen almost had a prime opportunity to equalise, but Raggett covered ground quickly to make a sliding block.
As the game opened up in the final stages, the Cowleys made attacking changes with Bradley Ihionvien and Jaden Williams replacing Kouassi and Thorn. Making a fast impact, Williams got on the end of a cross by Sesay to guide the ball towards goal. Booth made a quick save with his legs and the rebound fell into the path of Payne, but his awkward effort was also saved.
Deep into added time, Crewe found their equaliser. Having upped the pressure with little time remaining, the U’s failed to deal with a cross to the back post where Joshua Stephenson was waiting. The defender controlled the ball and rifled a volley across Lo-Tutala and into the top right corner to share the points.
The draw extends the U’s unbeaten streak at home but Danny, Nicky, and the squad will have to put Crewe’s late equaliser behind them in preparation for the visit of Cheltenham Town next Saturday.
Starting XI
Lo-Tutala, Iandolo, Raggett, Tucker, Hunt, J.Williams (69’), Sesay (87’), Payne (87’), Anderson, Thorn (73’), Kouassi (72’)
Subs