Match report

Crewe Defeats Colchester 1-0 in League Two

Crewe
Crewe
1–0
FT
Colchester
Colchester
Jan 31, 2026

Crewe held off the challenges from Colchester United to clinch a crucial 1-0 win in their League Two encounter. The match, played on January 31, saw Crewe's Charles Agius netting the solitary goal in the 68th minute following an assist by Anthony Thibaut. Despite multiple substitutions and yellow cards for Colchester, they were unable to level the scoreline.

Key Facts

  • • Crewe secured a narrow victory over Colchester United with a 1-0 win.
  • • Charles Agius scored the winning goal in the 68th minute for Crewe, assisted by Anthony Thibaut.
  • • Colchester's David Gape received a yellow card for a foul in the first half (49th minute).
  • • Two additional yellow cards were issued to Colchester players: Frank Back (74th minute) and Jordan Payne (90+5 minutes).

Lineups

Crewe

Formation: 4-2-3-1

Starting XI

  • 41 I. Lawlor (G)
  • 2 L. Billington (D)
  • 25 A. Pond (D)
  • 5 M. Demetriou (D)
  • 3 R. Hutchinson (D)
  • 23 J. Powell (M)
  • 6 M. H. Sanders (M)
  • 26 T. O'Reilly (M)
  • 17 M. Holicek (M)
  • 20 C. Agius (M)
  • 24 J. March (F)

Substitutes

  • 1 T. Booth
  • 8 C. Thomas
  • 14 C. Finney
  • 18 J. Connolly
  • 19 O. Lunt
  • 29 A. Thibaut
  • 32 L. Moore

Colchester

Formation: 4-2-3-1

Starting XI

  • 1 M. Macey (G)
  • 22 F. Back (D)
  • 5 J. Tucker (D)
  • 24 H. Araujo (D)
  • 2 R. Hunt (D)
  • 25 F. Barbrook (M)
  • 15 D. Gape (M)
  • 14 K. Lisbie
  • 10 J. Payne (M)
  • 21 O. Edwards (M)
  • 19 W. Goodwin (F)

Substitutes

  • 12 T. Smith
  • 9 S. Tovide
  • 11 J. Gordon
  • 17 J. Williams
  • 23 A. Akande
  • 34 K. Lisbie
  • 40 F. Terry

Timeline

  1. Colchester
    49' Colchester Card · Yellow Card
    D. Gape

    Foul

  2. Crewe
    56' Crewe subst · Substitution 1
    Off: J. March · On: A. Thibaut
  3. Crewe
    57' Crewe subst · Substitution 2
    Off: Jack Powell · On: Owen Lunt
  4. Colchester
    62' Colchester subst · Substitution 1
    Off: W. Goodwin · On: S. Tovide
  5. Crewe
    65' Crewe subst · Substitution 3
    Off: M. H. Sanders · On: Luca Moore
  6. Crewe
    68' Crewe Goal · Normal Goal
    C. Agius · Assist: A. Thibaut
  7. Colchester
    71' Colchester subst · Substitution 2
    Off: D. Gape · On: J. Williams
  8. Colchester
    74' Colchester Card · Yellow Card
    F. Back

    Foul

  9. Crewe
    76' Crewe subst · Substitution 4
    Off: Tommi O'Reilly · On: C. Thomas
  10. Colchester
    81' Colchester subst · Substitution 3
    Off: R. Hunt · On: J. Gordon
  11. Colchester
    90'+5 Colchester Card · Yellow Card
    J. Payne

    Off the ball foul

Match Stats

Stat Crewe Colchester
Fouls 8 12
Pass Accuracy 71% 82%
Offsides 2 2
Red Cards — —
Total Shots 3 18
Corners 2 7
Total Passes 331 556
Yellow Cards 0 3
Blocked Shots 0 10
Shots on Target 2 3
xG 0.36 1.11
Shots off Target 1 5
Possession 38% 62%
Goals Prevented — —
Accurate Passes 236 458
Shots Inside Box 1 11
Saves 3 1
Shots Outside Box 2 7

Key Match Notes

  • ▸ Charles Agius's goal in the 68th minute proved crucial as it broke the deadlock and gave Crewe a slim advantage.
  • ▸ Colchester struggled to maintain their rhythm after two yellow cards were issued within four minutes (74th and 90+5 minutes), affecting their momentum.