DAVE Artell was left grimacing through another incomplete Crewe Alex display after Cambridge hit back with two late goals to grab a draw.

While the U's were well worth the point they secured via a Will Jaaskelainen own goal and a stoppage-time strike from Adam May, the Alex's startling no-show in the second half helped the visitors on their way.

The failure to maintain a bright start, during which two well-worked goals from Oli Finney and Scott Robertson appeared to be pointing Artell's men towards a much-needed second campaign win, is perplexing.

While Chris Porter was a thorn in Cambridge's flesh in the first 45, Mikael Mandron was deployed ineffectively in a wide role after replacing the injured Scott Kashket.

It wasn't the only thing that looked disjointed about Crewe's performance. They were caught out several times pressing high in the second half when a raft of strong substitutions turned the game in Cambridge's favour.

U's boss Mark Bonner was able to throw on the experienced Wes Hoolahan and the speedy Shilow Tracey while another later sub, Sam Smith, had a large hand in cutting the arrears with 11 minutes left.

"You can't knock the players' effort. It was a good first half, but a terrible second," admitted Artell.

"We shouldn't have been in that predicament. Cambridge deserved a point not because of what they did, but what we didn't do and I'm not being disrespectful.

"Some of our decision making again was poor, but we'll keep going and we've got to get them better. We'll pick the bones out of it and go again. We've got the Papa John's Trophy game [against Wigan on Tuesday) but otherwise we've got two weeks to get working and we'll use it wisely."

Finnney marked his return to the side side by blasting the Railwaymen ahead in the 10th-minute. The midfielder was making his first start since August 31 as one of two changes from the side drawing at Plymouth in midweek.

The other, veteran striker Chris Porter, provided the assist with a deft knockdown.

Finney then turned provider, taking the ball at the near post and ferrying it off for Scott Robertson, who showed great composure to finish (26).

After an all-action 28 minutes which included picking up a yellow card, Kashket limped off to be replaced by Mandron, who tested visiting keeper Dimitar Mitov with a fierce blast from wide right of goal.

But it went downhill from there and Crewe were fortunate when May skipped clear on goal, but his angled finish glanced off the far post.

There was another let-off after the break when Joe Ironside really should have sunk James Brophy's cross, but free inside the six-yard box the striker lifted his header over.

But the U's were back in the game with 11 minutes left when Smith, sliding in at the far post, poked Jack Iredale's cross against the post and eventually forced in the rebound off Jaaskelainen.

Tracey let Crewe off when clear, blasting way over while Lloyd Jones' downward header from a late corner was heading in had it not been deflected past the post.

It wasn't perhaps a surprise, although it was agonisingly late, when May took Hoolahan's pass and drove into the corner of the net (90+4).

Crewe remerged strongly after an enforced break on international weekend in September, the hope is they can do so again (next week's schedule visit of bottom club Doncaster is off) as they need to turn draws into wins to pull clear of the bottom four – although with fixtures against Sunderland, Wycombe and MK Dons lying ahead this month it isn't going to get any easier.

Crewe: Jaaskelainen; Ramsay, Daniels, Offord, Adebisi; Murphy, Robertson, Finney (Lundstram); Kashket (Mandron), Porter, Bennett (MacFadzean).

Subs: McKenzie-Lyle, Dunk, Okedina, Weir.