Gillingham..1 Crewe..1

CREWE blew a great opportunity to stop the rot with points dropped at relegation rivals Gillingham.

David Vaughan's 73rd minute wonder goal suggested that horrendous run of 16 league games without victory was about to end.

But while a spectacular strike graced the other end, Alex fans were forced to endure yet another piece of sloppy play in front of their noses; Nicky Southall seizing upon it to prolong the agony, 10 minutes from time.

If anyone needed an indication that Crewe aren't getting any breaks at the moment, this was it.

Both the post and bar were rattled while Steve Jones' failure to make the second-half through a hamstring injury proved pivotal.

In truth though, the Alex paid the price due to a lack of firepower with two sitters blundered in the first-half that would have surely set up victory.

Judging by the second 45, it's looking a big ask from Luke Varney and Andy White to do the business in Crewe's last three games.

If Jonah isn't fit, Mark Rivers appears the only other alternative to provide some clinical finishing as the Alex must bag at least one more win.

The only change to the starting 11, Clayton Ince's recall was justified as he dealt with the expected aerial bombardment for big front-two Darius Henderson and Mamady Sidibe.

Both had early-half chances in this tense encounter but it was Crewe that should have gone in front on 20 minutes.

Vaughan and Jones combined to tee up Sorvel with the goal gaping but the midfielder drilled his effort wide to the relief of the home side.

Jonah tested keeper Jason Brown with a firmly planted header while Varney was responsible for miss number two of the game, blasting a close-range drive against the bar after Jones had been denied by the feet of keeper Jason Brown.

While the Gills may highlight possession stakes in the first-half, Crewe looked far more of a threat unfortunately extinguished when Jones failed to make it back out.

Justin Cochrane replaced him in an unfamiliar role on the right and came close to a major impact on 63 minutes.

The midfielder's shot-cum-cross deceived everybody in the goalmouth and thumped the post with both White and Varney unable to bundle home the resulting melee.

Substitute Matt Jarvis began turning the game Gillingham's way, supplying Henderson with ammunition to trouble Ince along with incisive runs that began to unnerve Crewe's rock steady defence.

It was ironic really that Vaughan finally broke the deadlock despite the home side's ascendancy.

The Welshman intercepted, embarked on a typical mazy run and struck a sweet 25-yarder that curled into Brown's top corner.

An elusive win finally looked good but Crewe got jittery and defended far too deep while Ternent went for broke with another striker in Darren Byfield.

Poor officiating saw Vaughan get clattered face first into the boards with the Gills level in the resulting piece of play.

Sidibe's eventual effort was blocked with no-one near Southall who dispatched the rebound beyond Ince into the bottom corner.

It could have been far worse had Vaughan not hacked Henderson's header off the line in stoppage time.

Crewe: Ince, Moses, Tonkin, McCready, Murdock, Lunt, Sorvel, Vaughan, Varney, White (Higdon 82), S Jones (Cochrane 46).

Subs not used: Williams, Moss, Walker.

Attendance - 10,315.

Guardian man-of -the-match: Anthony Tonkin - Got stuck in, defensively his best game