TORQUAY 1 (Rendell 38), CREWE 1 (Donaldson 85)

Gwyn Griffiths reports from Plainmoor.

CLAYTON Donaldson salvaged a point for Crewe to make up for their dull display in bright sunshine on the English Riviera.

The striker made up for Shaun Miller's late penalty miss by firing home with five minutes left.

Torquay had grimly held on to the lead they owed to Scott Rendell's strike seven minutes before the interval.

But a late flurry from the Alex earned its reward.

Bolton trainee Chris Stokes was handed his senior debut on the left of Crewe's defence 24 hours after finalising a one-month loan move.

Steve Schumacher earned a recall in midfield after the in-form Ashley Westwood was forced to miss the trip to South Devon with an ear infection.

And Westwood's absence was noticeable in a poor first-half in which Gulls' duo Nicky Wroe and Lee Mansell won the decisive battles in the middle of the park.

Chances were at a premium as both sides struggled for creativity, but it was loan striker Rendell who made the biggest impression in his first start since January 30.

Chris Zebroski - Torquay's scorer in the 1-1 draw between the sides in Cheshire last month - charged powerfully down the left to outpace John Brayford before squaring for Rendell, who turned and fired into the far bottom corner under pressure.

Crewe failed to make a succession of free kicks in juicy positions count, although Schumacher went closest in the 22nd minute after Mansell had upended Calvin Zola 25 yards out.

Zola had been introduced as early as the 12th minute after Byron Moore hobbled off in agony following a glaringly late tackle by erratic Torquay left back Lathaniel Rowe-Turner.

The winger could barely stand up he was in so much pain, but Zola's addition left Crewe, on paper at least, with a strong attacking formation.

But it was Torquay who posed the greater threat. Schumacher took evasive action to clear Mark Ellis's flag-kick header off the line and Wayne Carlisle volleyed a yard wide.

Elliott Benyon and Wroe had shooting chances around the box as it was the home side pressing with plenty of effort, if little invention.

Crewe's best chance fell to the feet of Miller in the 25th minute after Brayford had cut in from the right wing. But the striker drove tamely into the arms of Scott Bevan.

Soon Rendell was making it count and then young Stokes was needed to clear a goal-bound Ellis header from his own six-yard box as the half closed.

After the restart, Mansell drove over from 15 yards as Crewe failed to clear their lines from a corner.

Crewe were under more pressure with Benyon, in particular, a thorn in the flesh taking Rendell's flick-ons.

Carlisle and Zebroski wafted efforts over.

Lacking inspiration for the 50 minutes he was on the pitch, Zola made way for Luke Murphy.

Crewe burst into life at last when Donaldson latched onto a ball over the top from James Bailey, but while he flicked over the onrushing Bevan he was wide of the mark.

Then the keeper palmed away a Miller cross-shot, which was bound for the far corner.

But his counterpart, Steve Phillips, needed to intervene twice in quick succession to keep Crewe involved. He pushed a Zebroski effort around the post and then tipped over Chris Robertson's header.

Crewe were offered a lifeline when Ellis tripped Miller as he drove into the box with 13 minutes left.

But the striker stepped up and blazed the resulting spot kick high over the away end to loud groans.

Miller tried to make up for his gaffe by slipping in Donaldson, but Bevan was off his line to make a block.

But when his flick-on set up Donaldson again in the 85th minute, the striker made it count with a low finish into the bottom corner for the equaliser.

Teams

Torquay: Bevan, Robertson, Rowe-Turner, Ellis, Branston, Carlisle, Mansell, Wroe, Zebroski, Rendell, Benyon (Carayol, 82).

Subs: Searle, Tyrone Thompson, Stevens, Smith, O'Kane, Jake Thomson.

Crewe: Phillips, Brayford, Stokes, O'Donnell, Mitchel-King, Moore (Zola, 12 (Murphy, 64)), Schumacher (Walton, 78) Bailey, Grant, Miller, Donaldson.

Subs: Tootle, Worley, Gardner, Legzdins

Referee: Rob Shoebridge

Attendance: 2,507