- Creditable draw on the road at fancied Bradford City
- First clean sheet on the road in 26 attempts
- Impressive display leaves the Alex seventh in League Two
Crewe Alexandra took a hard-fought point from a goalless draw at Bradford City.
The shares were spoiled after an evenly-contested game at University of Bradford Stadium.
Courtney Baker-Richardson went closest for the Alex while Scott Banks rattled the bar for the hosts, but they could not be separated.
It was the first clean sheet in 26 away games for Crewe, and the first ever 0-0 draw at Bradford.
Alex Morris handed a debut to midfielder Eli King, who only signed on loan from Cardiff on Thursday, in place of the injured Lachlan Brook
Callum Ainley, making his 250th appearance for the club, won a free-kick in a shooting position on 17 minutes but Tariq Uwakwe, playing in attack, blazed the dead ball well over.
Keeper Arthur Okonkwo made a smart stop from Banks, but there was nothing he could do about another Banks strike on 28 minutes and he was grateful to see the ball come back off the bar.
Bradford keeper Harry Lewis was out quickly to block a Baker-Richardson strike, but neither side could make a breakthrough in an entertaining first 45 minutes.
Real chances were at a premium early on in the second half, with neither side doing enough to truly test the opposition keeper.
On 68 minutes a terrific bit of play involving Ainley and Uwakwe carved out an opportunity for Baker-Richardson but good last-ditch defending from Matty Platt denied him.
On 77 minutes, just after Mark Hughes had used his third and fourth substitutions, Okonkwo held a Banks curler at the second attempt.
Crewe switched to a back-five for the closing stages, as Bradford came on strong.
Seven minutes were added at the end but The Railwaymen stood strong to take a deserved point.
Bradford (4-2-4): Lewis; Halliday, Platt, Crichlow, Ridehalgh; Smallwood, East (Sutton, 76); Banks, Chapman (Harratt, 46), Cook (Oliver, 76), Angol (Young, 46).
Subs not used: Doyle, Songo’o, Odusina.
Booked: Cook, Halliday
Crewe (4-3-3): Okonkwo; Mellor, Offord, McDonald, Williams; Thomas, King, Ainley (Sass-Davies, 85); Uwakwe, Baker-Richardson, Agyei.
Subs not used: Richards, Leshabela, O Finney, C Finney, Tabiner, Griffiths.
Booked: None.
Referee: Sunny Gill.
Attendance: 16,541 (439).