• Railwaymen held at Rodney Parade
• Long back on the scoresheet
• Alex finish the game with 10 men

Crewe Alexandra had to settle for a 1-1 draw in the final game of 2023 at Newport County.

The Railwaymen took the lead early in the second half when Christopher Long scored his eighth of the season.

But County top-scorer Will Evans levelled against the run of play to set up an exciting finale.

Crewe looked most likely to grab a winner but when Zac Williams hobbled off injured they had to finish the game with 10 men.

And they showed great grit and determination to stand up to late Newport pressure and take a point, which was the least they deserved.

Crewe have dropped to eighth in League Two as a result and will now prepare for a mouthwatering clash with Bradford City on New Year’s Day.

Lee Bell made two changes to the side that lost at Walsall on Boxing Day. Long made his first start since October and skipper Luke Offord returned after serving a two-match suspension. Shilow Tracey and Ryan Cooney dropped to the bench.

Offord played in midfield alongside Joe White and Rio Adebisi in a 4-3-3 formation.

Newport, who operated a 5-3-2 system, saw a couple of early shots well blocked by Adebisi and Billington, while speculative efforts from Long and Aaron Rowe came to nothing at the other end.

On 27 minutes a flowing Alex move from left to right ended with a cross from Lewis Billington and Williams brought an excellent reaction save from keeper Nick Townsend.

That proved to be the best opportunity of a fiercely-contested first half and it ended goalless.

But the Alex fans didn’t have to wait long for the breakthrough. A super move from back to fronty created space for Courtney Baker-Richardson out wide and his low cross was tucked away at the far post by Long.

Newport equalised against the run of play just after the hour mark when the ball was allowed to travel into the heart of the Crewe defence and Evans was on hand to rifle home.

That lifted the hosts and James Waite fizzed one wide before keeper Tom Booth held an Evans strike.

On 78 minutes Billington fed Cooney wide and his cross was nodded over by fellow sub Tracey, who was under pressure from a defender.

The visitors were pressing for a winner when Williams got injured and, due to three substitution windows having already been used, they had to finish the game with 10 men.

Booth made an excellent reflex save to deny Scott Bennett in the eight minutes of added time.

And the players ran themselves into the ground to prevent a Newport winner and take a point home from Rodney Parade.

Newport (5-3-2): Townsend; Payne, Baker, Clarke (Bondswell, 63), Delaney, McLoughlin; Charsley (Waite, 63), Bennett, Morris (Wood, 90+4); Evans, Palmer-Houlden.

Subs not used: Maxted, Lewis, Rai, Sanca.

Booked: None.

Crewe (3-4-3): Booth; O’Riordan, Offord, Demetriou; Billington, White, Adebisi, Williams; Rowe (Nevitt, 84), Baker-Richardson, Long (Tracey, 64).

Subs not used: Davies, Robinson, Kempster-Down, Agius.

Booked: Williams.

Referee: Ben Speedie.

Attendance: 3,926 (174).