Prayers answered: Crewe..1 Peterborough..1

3:39pm Thursday 30th October 2008

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TOM Pope’s late leveller took some of the heat out of growing protests against Alex management.

While under-fire boss Steve Holland was pleased enough with a point against in-form Peterborough, it’s wins he needs and quickly.

Otherwise the organised demonstrations look set to continue unless Crewe’s board ends its silence over what has become a dire situation down Gresty Road.

Some kind of statement would do everyone a favour.

Tuesday night was another indication of a tough battle to stay in League One.

And for once, Crewe lucked out after Aaron Mclean’s 14th minute opener looked sure to condemn them to a sixth defeat in their last seven games.

But Pope raised more questions about Holland’s endless chopping and changing by popping up to spare his gaffer an after-match pasting.

While injury and suspension forced inclusions for Jon Brayford and George Abbey, Anthony Elding was once again dumped on the sidelines.

Clayton Donaldson took his turn up front while Joel Grant enjoyed the freedom of a free role in his first start for an age.

They looked up against it as Posh impressed despite a rather fortuitous breakthrough.

McLean was clearly offside when he benefited from a blocked drive by Paul Coutts but the flag stayed down and Steve Collis had no chance from eight yards.

It fuelled the fire for 50-odd camped out in front of the press area in the main stand, chanting for Holland’s head although also backing the team.

Dennis Lawrence forced Joe Lewis into his only real save of note, back peddling to push a looping header onto the roof of the net as Crewe eventually mounted a response.

But Peterborough probably should have killed them off before the break.

Only a last-gasp tackle from Danny O’Donnell denied Craig Mackail-Smith while McLean wasted a golden chance when he dived in unmarked at a short corner but headed wide.

Collis had to rescue the hosts twice as nothing changed in a dicey spell at the start of the second-half.

The Alex number one had to get down low to block Boyd’s drive at the near post while producing an even better stop to thwart Mackail-Smith.

Things were growing worse when influential Michael O’Connor limped off around the hour-mark but Crewe’s luck began to turn when Abbey got away with a nailed-on penalty for scything down sub Shaun Batt in the box.

Pope was thrown on to good effect in the final 20 minutes and Lewis finally had more to do, blocking well from Donaldson after a neat move between James Bailey and Grant.

The summer signing from Aldershot was prominent in those promising flashes of football at the start of the season.

And it was Grant who came up with the goods for an unlikely leveller.

After turning two defenders down the left, he supplied the perfect cross for Pope to turn on and bury, two minutes from time.

It was a relief to everyone, particularly Holland.

Saturday’s trip to Huddersfield must be a winning one.

Crewe: Collis, Brayford, Abbey (Carrington 81), O’Donnell, Lawrence, Moore, O’Connor (Schumacher 60), Bailey, Miller (Pope 71), Grant, Donaldson.

Subs not used: Elding, Zola.

Attendance – 3,699.

Guardian man-of-the-match: Joel Grant - livewire