This one really hurts – Lee Bell’s 10-man Crewe suffer late heartbreak at Sutton

Posted Sunday, March 05, 2023 by PA

Crewe boss Lee Bell could not hide his disappointment after his side let two points slip through their fingers in a 1-1 draw at Sutton.

Daniel Agyei’s first-half glancing header put the visitors ahead at Gander Green Lane.

But the visitors were reduced to 10 men when Rod McDonald was given his marching orders after the break and Coby Rowe struck for the third time in as many games with a dramatic equaliser in the third minute of stoppage time.

After a fourth draw on the bounce, boss Bell said: “It’s unbelievably frustrating.

“I can’t fault the players. To withstand the pressure after going down to 10 men after 67 minutes is a fantastic effort.

“They were relentless with balls into the box and we stood up to it. One moment was all they needed.

“The first half was about as bad as a game of football as I’ve ever seen, it really was. It’s hard to play against them.

“The majority of their games are played in that manner, but all credit to them for where they are in the league.

“I thought we’d get more opportunities to score as the game went on.

“But it’s not unlucky anymore, is it? It seems to be the theme for the past three or four weeks, or maybe a bit more.

“I’ve let the players know that. But this one really hurts.

“It’s a definite red card. Let’s not knock Rod, he knows he’s done wrong so let us deal with that.”

Matt Gray’s Sutton battled until the very end and got their reward as they stretched their unbeaten run to seven games.

They have not lost at home since mid November and Gray said: “I think we’ve been outstanding for 15 games, no-one’s picked up more points in those 15 games in the league than us.

“It was important that we dug in there to get the point because that’s now eight games unbeaten at home.

“It’s been an incredible run, but over the 16 games it was by far our worst performance, especially in the first half.

“We weren’t at the races and I didn’t feel we were at our best.

“The players showed some great character. Even though they don’t play well they still don’t get beat. They keep going and keep running right to the very end.

“We weren’t at our best, but I don’t think we deserved to lose the game either and we’ve managed to get a point.

“I thought we lacked some quality and energy so I’m pleased with the point.”