Crewe’s manager, Steve Davis, pointed to the confidence his side can take from their shock 2-1 victory at promotion-chasing Sheffield United as they took an unexpected step towards League One safety at Bramall Lane.
The game had reached the final minute and was heading for a 1-1 draw when the substitute Ryan Colclough, back after 16 months out with injuries and off-field problems, fired an unstoppable 25-yard shot from the left that dipped over the despairing leap of the Blades’ goalkeeper Mark Howard.
Crewe had entered the game fourth from bottom and on the back of three successive defeats and so this historic victory – their first ever at Bramall Lane – was crucial. It lifted them up to 18th, three places and two points above the drop zone with seven games remaining, while bringing the Blades’ momentum – which had seen them win two games in a row – to an unexpected halt, although they remain in fifth place.
Davis said: “It should give us massive confidence – I’ve said that in the past and it hasn’t – coming here and winning against the odds, and the odds were very high today. If you’d have had a bet you’d have won a few quid. With the three defeats we’ve had we weren’t expected to get anything.
“Crewe have a habit of upsetting the odds and we are capable of these results. We’ve got some decent players and on our day we are capable of beating any team in the league.”
Davis also had high praise for Colclough. “I am glad he has that confidence and swagger about him because I think you need that little bit of swagger to become a good player and I want all the players to have a swagger – particularly coming to these places.”
The visitors took a shock lead in the 12th minute when Uche Ikpeazu showed his strength on the edge of the area and slid the ball through to striker Lauri Dalla Valle who managed to get beyond the Blades’ defence before shooting firmly home.
Ten minutes into the second half and the Blades were level. Jamie Murphy danced down the left and put in a low ball to Jason Holt who swivelled and shot home from an angle for his second goal in as many games.
Chris Basham headed against the post for United before Murphy curled the ball across goal but the Blades’ fans held their collective breath when Howard was forced to go down to his left to save a low shot.
However, that was not the end of it from Crewe. There seemed to be little danger for the hosts when Colclough received the ball from Jamie Ness on the left but he turned and unleashed the winner prompting a mass exodus from Bramall Lane.
Nigel Clough did not attempt to hide his disappointment, especially having seen his side beat Port Vale and Scunthorpe in the past week. The Sheffield United manager said: “Having had two home wins in the week, to lose a third one in the manner we did is incredibly disappointing. We shouldn’t be losing those games.
“We are not negative but you can take your draws and have more points on the board if you don’t lose as we did in the 90th minute today.”
He added that they were “a little bit unlucky with the goal. Two deflections – one to get the corner and then the strike has deflected off the top of someone’s head taking it past Mark Howard when he has had so little to do in the second half as well.
“It is very, very disappointing. But Crewe are capable of doing that – we talked about it this week. They are capable of doing that to anybody in the league. I don’t think anybody played anywhere near as well as they did Tuesday.”
