Ex-Stoke winger denies Crewe with late strike (with Fans Update)
MK DONS 2 (Baldock 15, Chadwick 78)
LUKE Chadwick’s late leveller denied under-fire Steve Holland a morale-boosting victory.
Sam Baldock shot the visitors ahead after 15 minutes, but Crewe were level just over the half-hour mark thanks to an own goal from Sean O’Hanlon.
Then Shaun Miller netted his first goal of the season to edge his side in front before the break.
But Chadwick struck in the 78th-minute for the MK Dons after they had dominated much of the second-half.
Alex coach Holland made four changes to the side, which went down at Scunthorpe. Julien Baudet and Dennis Lawrence returned at the back, Michael O’Connor came back into midfield and Clayton Donaldson was offered his first start in place of Tom Pope.
But it was Steve Collis who was soon in action palming away Mark Wright’s shot-cum-cross after the winger breezed past Lawrence on the right.
At the other end a delivery from Danny Woodards posed problems for the visitors shortly after with Mark Carrington’s touch flicking wide of Willy Gueret’s near post via a black shirt.
Then Calvin Zola turned and drove a yard wide from 20 yards as the big striker tried to make an early impression.
But Crewe were chasing the game after 15 minutes when some real indecision from Lawrence allowed Wright to slip Peter Leven in down the middle. When the midfielder laid the ball square in ran Baldock to smash low into the bottom corner.
With cries of “Holland Out” echoing from the Gresty Road end, O’Connor came close to a swift response with a 20-yard piledriver which flew over.
The Irish youngster’s measured chip set up Zola free with Gueret to beat from the right of the box in the 22nd minute. But the collective malaise afflicting Holland’s team was no more evident when the striker blazed over.
The Dons seemed to have taken a stranglehold on the game with their neat possession play helped by a multitude of Alex errors. Leven fired inches wide of the top corner.
Little had been seen of Donaldson, but he won a free-kick a yard outside the box when he was tripped by Miguel Llera. But Billy Jones wasted the opportunity when he drove his kick straight at the wall.
Crewe were struggling to piece much of note together, yet they were level in perhaps fortunate circumstances in the 32nd minute. Carrington did well to nip in ahead of the full-back and take the ball to the bye-line, where he whipped in a cross which Sean O’Hanlon inadvertently diverted high into his own net as he tried to clear from Zola.
Then Gueret needed to make a decent block to prevent Donaldson’s low shot from nudging Crewe in front five minutes later. Crewe were playing with much more confidence as the half closed and Gueret tipped over a Miller effort after the winger cut in across the box.
And the left winger was soon celebrating handing his side an unlikely lead two minutes before the interval when Woodards’ delivery was helped on by Zola and he drove a low finish through a ruck of players.
Zola had a great opportunity to extend the lead six minutes after the re-start after a long ball skimmed off O’Hanlon’s head and into the striker’s path.
But Zola’s poor control helped Gueret to close him down and make the block off his line.
Chadwick’s 30-yarder hardly troubled Collis as Crewe forsook their visitors’ precise approach for launching long balls up at Zola and Donaldson. Chadwick again caused flutters at the back when he ran at Woodards and saw his deflected effort fly inches wide of the post with Collis left flat-footed.
Dons, boss Roberto Di Matteo brought on Kevin Gallen and Jemal Johnson for Gerba and Wright with 20 minutes left.
O’Connor’s 25-yard volley was caught less than convincingly by Gueret as Crewe soaked up plenty of second-half pressure.
And the Dons keeper was fortunate when he dropped a swirling cross at Zola’s feet, recovering to make the save.
But Chadwick confirmed his second-half threat when he levelled on 78. There was a suspicion of offside as Gallen laid the ball to the left of the box after Crewe failed to clear and the winger’s fierce deflected effort flew past Collis at the near post.
Pope and Moore were on up front for the final minutes in place of Zola and Donaldson. Leven missed a sitter which would have compounded Crewe’s woe, turning and screwing past the post.
FANS REACTION
SOME Crewe fans called for Steve Holland to leave during their side’s 2-2 draw with the MK Dons.
A banner proclaiming “Steve Holland Out” was unfurled in the Gresty Road End after Sam Baldock shot the visitors into a first-half lead.
Yet the Alex coach’s side fought back with some spirit to lead before the break thanks to a Sean O’Hanlon own goal and a strike from Shaun Miller.
And they had chances to extend the lead and seal a much-needed third League win.
But Luke Chadwick’s 78th-minute deflected effort prised a point away for Roberto Di Matteo’s side
“I didn’t enjoy seeing it (the banner),” admitted Holland, “But it wasn’t an abusive demonstration and it didn’t effect the team. The support for the team was very good.
“I’m the manager and we’re not getting good results and I have to take what comes. I don’t expect them to be happy.”
And Holland added: “We showed good character after going behind and we’ve had good chances to have won the game.”
TEAMS
Crewe: Collis, Woodards, Jones, Baudet, Lawrence, Carrington, O’Connor, Bailey, Miller, Zola (Pope, 83), Donaldson (Moore, 83)
Subs: Schumacher, Grant, Brayford.
MK Dons: Gueret, Cummings, Lewington, O’Hanlon, Llera (Stirling, 60), Wright (Johnson, 70), Navarro, Leven, Chadwick, Gerba (Gallen 70), Baldock.
Subs: Abbey, Regan,
Referee: Mr M Haywood
Attendance: 4,055.
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