If there was anyone in the opposition side this afternoon you didn't want to be racing clean through on goal in the final minute, it was that old campaigner Nicky Forster of Brighton. As you would expect the former Ipswich, Reading and Hull dispatched his chance with clinical precision and Crewe's mini-revival was cruelly wiped out in foul swoop.
Crewe Alexandra must have thought they have acquired a share of the spoils when Calvin Zola kept his composure to slot past Michael Kuipers with just four minutes left on the clock. It was the former Tranmere Rovers' man first goal for the club following his summer switch from Prenton Park and it looked good enough for a point until the deadly Forster struck on the stroke of 90 minutes. It was a cruel start for Crewe Alexandra but that is to take nothing away from Brighton's impressive performance. They certainly deserved to take something from the game after looking the more threatening throughout the game.
Zola could have given the home a dream start after just three minute but the lanky Congolese forward headed wide from a Billy Jones free-kick. It was probably our best chance of the game, other than the goal, but he couldn't quite get it right when it mattered most.
Brighton also created a good early opening but Adam Virgo saw his effort cleared off the line. Shaun Miller, who has been handed the opportunity to try and fill the scoring boots of Nicky Maynard, also had an early header, which he couldn't quite keep down.
It was a fairly promising start from the Alex, with winger Joel Grant causing some problems with his penetrating runs. He had a couple of decent shots too following a couple of mazy runs.
Our other wide player Eugen Bopp limped off after just 15 minutes of the new season with what looked like a groin strain. Ben Rix took his place.
Brighton had the ball in the net first but Matt Richards was adjudged to have bundled Steve Collis into the back of the net with the ball. The referee whistled early and the goal was chalked off.
Grant appeared to be Crewe's best early hope of a breakthrough, with Dean Cox offering similar forcefulness for the visitors. The game was sprightly and ebbed and flowed but then became rather scrappy from a Crewe point of view and Brighton began to get on top.
A promising break from Zola inside the Brighton box saw Grant in front of goal once again but his low shot was blocked as Crewe tried to open the scoring. That duly occurred just moments later, when Virgo headed the opener on his return to the Seagulls following a stint in Scotland. Crewe were troubled in the air throughout and Virgo rose highest to head a Kevin McLeod beyond Collis and into the far corner. Just as last year, Crewe were behind to Brighton and Hove Albion but there would be no repeat of a fight back.
Brighton were on top and looking for a killer second goal. Mcleod shot over after a forceful run, before Forster dragged a shot right across the goal mouth after getting in behind far too easily.
Grant, who understandably was named Man-of-the-Match for his first half performance alone, raised the noise of the crowd with another fantastic run, but his low cross was hooked away from the danger zone by the impressive Tommy Elphick.
Brighton looked the more likely to score again before the break, with Steve Thompson firing over the top of the cross bar. Collis was then called into action to deny Forster after the experienced striker had gotten the better of Chris McCready.
Crewe were wanting the half time interval by this stage of the proceedings and we were hanging on in the game as a contest.
The start of the second half was much of the same as Crewe's new goalkeeper was troubled a lot more than his opposite number. Full-back Andy Whing curled a superb effort just wide of the post before the dangerous Cox fired straight at Collis from 25 yards out.
On 54 minutes, Virgo forced Collis into probably his best save of the afternoon. The former Celtic midfielder drilled a low shot past a host of legs infront of the Alex keeper, but he saw enough of it to tip it around the post.
Crewe's forward line were feeding on pretty much scraps and Shaun Miller never really had a clear shot at goal before he was eventually replaced by Anthony Elding. Zola tried to force Kuipers into a mistake when he chased down a loose ball and Baudet wasted a free-kick from a good position.
The better of the chances were certainly falling to the visitors. On the hour mark, McCready did superbly to deny Glenn Murray a simple tap-in following another dangerous looking cross from Brighton debutant McLeod. A minute later, Colin Hawkins hit the post and Woodards was on hand to whack away the danger. A second goal at that stage would have killed off a late Alex revival.
Steve Holland elected to change things, with Elding replacing Miller. The appearance of the former Leeds striker certainly gave the Alex crowd a lift and he saw an early shot blocked.
Kuipers was also called upon to grab a dangerous looking cross from Woodards as the towering Zola applied some aerial pressure. Crewe had found another gear and pressed forward looking for an equaliser. An over zealous Michael O'Connor was booked for a late sliding tackle and Forster was cautioned for dissent after mouthing off to the assistant referee.
O'Connor sent a free-kick into the wall before Crewe conjured up an equaliser with just over five minutes remaining. Elding did well in the initial build-up play, laying off possession to Ben Rix and his pass released Zola through on goal. He shaped his body and curled it beyond the dive of Kuipers for what looked like a saving goal.
Crewe just had to see out the remaining minutes, for what would have been a point but Forster had other ideas. It was a poor goal to concede form a Crewe perspective as Thompson played him through the centre of the two Crewe centre-halves to tuck away a winner in the bottom corner.
Crewe: Collis, Woodards, Jones, Baudet, Mccready, O'Connor, Bailey, Bopp (Rix), Grant (Moore), Zola, Miller (Elding)
Brighton: Kuipers, Whing, Thompson, Cox, Forster, Richards, McLeod, Murray, Hawkins, Virgo, Elphick
