Match Report: AFC Crewe 3 v 2 Redgate Clayton
Goals: Jake Seddon (2), Michael Sarpong
A dramatic last-minute winner from Michael Sarpong secured a thrilling victory for The Railboys at Wood Park, seeing off the valiant efforts of third-placed Redgate Clayton in a game that will be remembered for some time by all who witnessed it.
After losing the corresponding fixture 2-1 earlier in the season, expectations were nevertheless high for the home side thanks to recent form and a combination of injury returns and new signings. It therefore came as quite the shock when Redgate Clayton took an early lead on 16mins with a tap-in inside the six-yard box, a lead which they somehow managed to eke out until half-time.
With the side a goal down after 45mins and that all-too-familiar feeling of failing to convert our dominance into goals creeping in, boss Gary Taylor-Fletcher turned to young forward Jake Seddon to help turn the tide of the game, bringing him on alongside fellow new signing Mostafa Ibrahim.
Despite the fresh legs on the pitch, Redgate then snatched a second goal, doubling their lead on 50mins with a fine finish from the edge of the box which really piled the pressure on our lads. Much to the crowd’s relief, Redgate then saw red, with Matthew Smith collecting a second yellow card to put the away side down to 10 men.
It was at this point that Jake Seddon decided he was having absolutely none of Redgate’s nonsense, and a blistering couple of minutes saw him score twice by the hour mark to leave the game delicately poised at 2-2. It was a decidedly spectacular passage of play that this team thoroughly deserved and both goals were down to Jake’s determination – the first saw him persevere to knock the ball past the keeper from a tight angle, and the second saw him get to a rebound before anyone else could react.
With momentum turning firmly in our favour, and Redgate on the back foot constantly, it looked as though Lady Luck was not on our side as time began to slowly slip away. However, with the clock ticking past 95mins, Michael Sarpong rose like the Colossus of Rhodes to head past the despairing Redgate keeper to clinch a famous victory and send the home support into delirium.
Another strong performance from AFC Crewe sees the team lie 7th in the league with nine games left in the season. With a good run of home games to come, and a big game next weekend against 4th-placed Rocester, there is still plenty to play for this season. It will just take some doing to be as dramatic as this game.
Lineup: Joe Jones (GK), Kyle Woolrich (Daniel Ihejirika, 64), Aaron Tarpey (Brandon Powner, 76), Jordan Long (c), Declan Colclough (George Taylor-Fletcher, 79), Caine Mellor, Michael Sarpong, Jacob Brooks (Archie Angles, 68), George Taylor-Fletcher (Jake Seddon, 46), Ross Avies (Mostafa Ibrahim, 46), Fortune Sibanda (Ross Avies, 78).
NEXT UP: Rocester FC (H), Saturday 1 March 2025