See how the press reported our 1-1 draw
The Sentinel
STEVE Davis saluted Crewe’s grandstand finish which saw Vadaine Oliver’s belting strike secure a point against promotion-chasing Swindon.
While it was not enough to prevent the Alex from dropping into the bottom four, this was a draw snatched from the jaws of what should have been a fairly comprehensive defeat, so dominant had the Robins been until the final 15 minutes.
Oliver, who has struggled for fitness and form since arriving from Lincoln City last summer, conjured up a superb volley to stun the complacent visitors with 13 minutes left.
Despite their domination, Mark Cooper’s side had only Ryan Harley’s 48th-minute thunderbolt in the bank.
They enjoyed a let-off when Chuks Aneke missed a penalty two minutes before the interval, but they certainly did not enjoy the closing stages as Crewe threw the kitchen sink in with a fitting reward for Oliver, whose only previous strike was against Peterborough back in September.
Davis said: “I hope the goal gives Vadaine confidence. He’s not been able to score the goals at this level, but he’s a strong and powerful lad to play against. He practices his shooting and he is getting better.
“We couldn’t get the ball in the first half to control any part of the game. We missed a penalty, although it was maybe a fortunate award. It was very uncharacteristic of Chuks as he normally rolls those.”
Swindon Advertiser
MARK Cooper branded Swindon Town’s performance in their 1-1 draw with Crewe Alexandra as “one of the best” of their season so far.
Vadaine Oliver’s wonder-striker with 14 minutes remaining earned Alex a point at Gresty Road after Town dominated much of the match and went ahead through Ryan Harley’s thunderbolt three minutes after half-time.
In his post-match interviews, Cooper cut a frustrated figure, lamenting his team’s profligacy up front, where Michael Smith and Nathan Thompson both squandered good chances.
“It’s very, very frustrating. I thought it was maybe one of our best performances. I thought we totally dominated the game for 80 minutes and we gave them a little bit of a lift and they finished a little bit stronger, but the game should have been dead,” he said.
“It should have been over. You can’t have that much play in and around the final third and still be only winning 1-0. That’s something we had to get right but the forward players are still young lads and they’re still learning their trade.”
Crewe Chronicle
SUBSTITUTE Vadaine Oliver's stunning late goal earned Crewe Alex a point against play-off chasers Swindon Town on Saturday.
The Railwaymen looked out-of-sorts for the most part and were fortunate to only trail to Ryan Harley's strike early in the second half.
It looked like a damaging defeat was on the cards until summer signing Oliver lashed a brilliant long range effort home with less than 15 minutes remaining.
The share of the spoils was not enough to prevent Crewe from slipping back into the League One drop zone on goal difference.
But it will at least maintain confidence levels and prove to them, for just the second time this season, that they can avoid defeat after conceding the first goal.