- Railwaymen reach the Play-Offs
- Nevitt’s injury time effort seals it
- Doncaster Rovers await
Crewe Alexandra sealed a place in the League Two Play-Offs thanks to a 1-1 draw at Colchester United.
Elliott Nevitt’s 92nd goal made sure of a sixth-place finish for The Railwaymen, as it cancelled out a Noah Chilvers opener.
The striker’s 18th of the campaign made it four consecutive away games without defeat, and sent the 512 Alex fans who had made the long trip into raptures.
It means Crewe have finished will face Doncaster Rovers in the Play-Off Semi-Finals, with details to be confirmed in the coming weeks.
The overriding emotion for players and supporters was relief, as a long campaign of hard work came to fruition.
But it will soon be time to go back to work.
Lee Bell made two changes to the side that lost to Wrexham, with Christopher Long and Shilow Tracey restored to a three-pronged attack.
Josh Austerfield and Aaron Rowe dropped to the bench alongside fit-again Courtney Baker-Richardson, who was involved for the first time since February.
Colchester, who named a tall and physical side led by striker John Akinde, asked the first questions in the opening stages and keeper Max Stryjek had to hold shots from Jayden Fevrier and Arthur Read.
On 22 minutes a Crewe attack was only half cleared and Elliott Nevitt headed on target, but keeper Sam Hornby was equal to it.
The home side hit the front on 35 minutes when Chilvers got down the Colchester left, cut inside and drilled home from just outside the box.
Not long after, Long had a shot blocked and Matus Holicek failed to connect properly with the rebound, as the Alex looked to hit back before the break.
Bell made a double change at the break with Long and Holicek, who were both limping, being replaced by Rowe and Austerfield.
Rio Adebisi fired over from an angle and Crewe had clear penalty appeals waved away when Mickey Demetriou’s shirt was clearly pulled in the area.
Stryjek made an athletic save to deny Chilvers a second while, at the other end, Nevitt blasted one inches wide from range.
Fevrier prodded wide from close distance as the home side looked to make sure, while Demetriou saw a header held by Hornby on 85 minutes.
It went right to the wire but Crewe kept pushing. And in the 92nd minute sub Charlie Kirk linked superbly with Joel Tabiner to get down the left and squared for Nevitt to slide home from close range.
Colchester (3-4-3): Hornby; Mingi, Iandolo, Hall, Kelleher; Fevrier, McGeehan, Chilvers, Read; Akinde (Harbottle, 67), Hopper.
Subs not used: Goodman, Jay, Wilkinson, Richardson, Cooper, Ihionvien.
Booked: Kelleher.
Crewe (4-3-3): Stryjek; Adebisi, Williams, Demetriou, Cooney (Kirk, 81); Billington, Tabiner, Holicek (Austerfield, 46); Tracey (Baker-Richardson, 71), Long (Rowe, 46), Nevitt.
Subs not used: Lenarcik, Finney, Agius.
Booked: Rowe.
Referee: Lewis Smith.
Attendance: 6,491 (512).
