Lee Bell praised Crewe’s players for showing great character as they extended their unbeaten record at home to nine games with a hard-fought 1-0 win over Colchester.
The injury-hit Railwaymen had struggled to impose a goal threat for most of the game, but the Crewe manager’s second-half changes paid off when substitute Adrien Thibaut set up Calum Agius for the only goal of the game in the 68th minute as the Cheshire side leapfrogged their opponents into 10th place.
With loan signings Fin Back and Fin Barbrook making their debuts to boost a depleted squad, Danny Cowley’s Colchester enjoyed plenty of possession. But they failed to pose much of a threat until the closing stages, by which time they were trailing to Agius’ sixth goal of the campaign, which he steered into the bottom corner from Thibaut’s cross.
“I am really pleased for the players as they had to show character against a really good Colchester team who can dominate possession,” said Crewe boss Bell. “It was a young and inexperienced team on the pitch and it looks as though we’ll have lost (midfielder) Max Sanders to injury for a while now.
“It was a really good finish from Calum. He can go for spells when he doesn’t get on the ball, but he takes those chances when those moments come and it has been a brilliant season for him.
“We’ve got goals in the team and though it looks as though Colchester had plenty of shots it wasn’t until the 80th minute they worked our keeper.
“It’s really pleasing to win our home games with a depleted squad and we have to continue to show that character if we are going to stay on the coat tails of the play-off places.”
Thibaut followed up his assist with a thunderous effort which was turned away by U’s Matt Macey, whose goal was hardly under threat for most of the afternoon with Crewe missing the frontline threats of the injured Emre Tezgel, Omar Bogle and Jack Lankester.
Owura Edwards drove over and Crewe keeper Ian Lawlor kept out a low shot from Jack Tucker as Colchester laid siege to the home box in the closing minutes.
Colchester manager Danny Cowley said: “Crewe had three shots, we had 21 and we had total control of the game. I could name a team from the absentees we have, 11 good players, so I am so proud of the guys as their efforts were incredible.
“Fin Back was picked up from Cambridge services on the way here and Fin Barbrook has only trained once with us. It was a really unfamiliar starting 11, but we have a small support staff who have worked really hard in the last week of the transfer window.
“We had 65 per cent possession so it is hard to take, but when you are up against it you have to double down and come back from disappointing moments like this.”
