Late heartache for Newport as Crewe snatch a last-minute draw

Press Association Sport Staff

Jordan Stephenson’s last-minute header salvaged Crewe a point from a 2-2 draw with Newport.

The visitors appeared to be heading for a comfortable victory until close-range efforts from Charlie McNeill and Stephenson, who seized on a cross from Matus Holicek, pegged them back in the last quarter of an hour.

Hayden Mullins’ side were gifted a third-minute opener when a mix-up between Luke Offord and Ian Lawlor dealing with a cross, saw Offord clip the ball past his own goalkeeper.

Dan Sassi extended the lead 11 minutes before the interval when he broke from his marker to glance a header into the far corner from Matty Jacob’s corner.

Newport were good value for their lead and could have had more goals with Kyle Cameron heading over and Yahya Bamba shooting across the face of goal after a surging run.

Crewe emerged late in the half, but Offord’s far-post volley flew over the bar and Joe White’s low shot was touched past the post by keeper Jordan Wright.

After the restart Lawlor flung himself across his goal to push away a free-kick Lewis clipped over the wall and Harrison Biggins went close to picking out the far corner before McNeill flung Crewe a lifeline in the 77th minute when he finished off after Wright could only parry Joel Tabiner’s header from a Holicek cross.