Match ends, Crewe Alexandra 1, Burton Albion 1.
CreweCrewe Alexandra1BurtonBurton Albion1
League One strugglers Crewe held leaders Burton Albion to a draw in a game of few clear-cut chances.
Crewe seized the lead when Marcus Haber tapped in a rebound in the first significant opening of the game.
Brad Inman then fired at goal from 20 yards, stinging the palms of Jon McLaughlin as Crewe sought a second.
But Lucas Akins grabbed the equaliser for the Brewers when, from Mark Duffy's cross, he turned three Crewe defenders and slotted past Ben Garratt.
Crewe, who lost defender Jon Guthrie late on with a cheekbone injury, remain seven points from safety with 11 games left to play.
The Brewers maintain their four-point advantage over second-placed Wigan, now nine points clear of third-placed Gillingham.
Crewe manager Steve Davis told BBC Radio Stoke:
"Drawing against the team that is top of the league should give us confidence because it shows that on our day we can compete with the very best.
"But, in the context of our situation, we need to be getting three points, especially from our home games. It is still a good point and I don't think it's two points lost.
"Overall a draw was fair. There was not a lot between the two sides. We took the lead again but we didn't hold onto it long enough. We have taken the lead in 17 games and only gone on to win six, so that tells its own story."
Burton boss Nigel Clough told BBC Radio Derby:
"Jon McLaughlin's not had much to do. We should have worked their goalkeeper a bit more.
"We had some brilliant situations today which we didn't turn into clear cut chances and ultimately we were just lacking that little bit of quality in the final third to get us the winner.
"I was pleased the way the players responded to going a goal down and the way we got back into the game and deserved out equaliser and were looking to win the game but when you're a goal down away from home then you end up with a point, it's not a bad result."
Line-ups
Crewe
Formation 4-4-2
- 1Garratt
- 23NgBooked at 80mins
- 3GuthrieSubstituted forDavisat 85'minutes
- 6NugentBooked at 87mins
- 41Bakayogo
- 10Inman
- 20JonesBooked at 70mins
- 2TurtonBooked at 32mins
- 11Cooper
- 9Haber
- 36HitchcockSubstituted forKirkat 59'minutes
Substitutes
- 4Davis
- 5Ray
- 13Richards
- 18Bingham
- 25Ainley
- 31Kirk
- 32Howell
Burton
Formation 4-5-1
- 1McLaughlin
- 2Edwards
- 4Mousinho
- 3Cansdell-Sherriff
- 14McCrory
- 10Akins
- 8Weir
- 7ReillySubstituted forBeavonat 67'minutes
- 12ButcherSubstituted forChoudhuryat 90+8'minutes
- 21Duffy
- 33BennettSubstituted forNaylorat 75'minutes
Substitutes
- 6Charles
- 9Beavon
- 15Naylor
- 17Myers-Harness
- 30Flanagan
- 31Bywater
- 34Choudhury
- Referee:
- Peter Bankes
- Attendance:
- 4,380
Match Stats
Home TeamCreweAway TeamBurton
- Possession
- Home50%
- Away50%
- Shots
- Home6
- Away13
- Shots on Target
- Home2
- Away4
- Corners
- Home3
- Away11
- Fouls
- Home16
- Away16
Live Text
Post update
Full Time
Second Half ends, Crewe Alexandra 1, Burton Albion 1.
Post update
Corner, Burton Albion. Conceded by George Cooper.
Post update
Marcus Haber (Crewe Alexandra) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Post update
Foul by Damien McCrory (Burton Albion).
Post update
Attempt missed. Hamza Choudhury (Burton Albion) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the right.
Post update
Attempt blocked. Lucas Akins (Burton Albion) right footed shot from the left side of the box is blocked.
Substitution
Substitution, Burton Albion. Hamza Choudhury replaces Callum Butcher.
Post update
Attempt missed. Robbie Weir (Burton Albion) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the right.
Post update
Corner, Burton Albion. Conceded by Harry Davis.
Post update
Foul by Harry Davis (Crewe Alexandra).
Post update
Stuart Beavon (Burton Albion) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Booking
Damien McCrory (Burton Albion) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Post update
Charlie Kirk (Crewe Alexandra) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Post update
Foul by Damien McCrory (Burton Albion).
Post update
Attempt missed. Philip Edwards (Burton Albion) left footed shot from the right side of the box misses to the left.
Post update
Foul by Perry Ng (Crewe Alexandra).
Post update
Lucas Akins (Burton Albion) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Post update
Corner, Burton Albion. Conceded by Zoumana Bakayogo.
Booking
Ben Nugent (Crewe Alexandra) is shown the yellow card.
