Goal line technology – the debate has raged long and hard but Stanley boss John Coleman says it wouldn’t have made a difference to the outcome on Tuesday.

Having watched the replay since of Sean McConville’s 13th minute strike which hit the underside of the crossbar and bounced down on the line, the Reds boss conceded it was never a goal.

This was despite most of the Gresty Road crowd accepting it was over at the time and the Stanley midfielder insisting that the assistant had got it wrong to rule it out.

"It was not a goal. It might have bounced down on the line but it wasn’t over the line," said the Reds chief.

"Anyway, due to what happened at the Wycombe v Shrewsbury game and Bradford v Rotherham – when goals were given that weren’t – it’s going to take a brave linesman to give a goal.

"I am of the opinion that it’s better to not give a goal than give a goal that doesn’t exist. Sean says it had gone over the line but I have learnt to never believe what a player says!"

That was one of the main talking points after the game in a game that, despite it being goalless draw, you couldn’t take your eyes off.

Another after-match headache was the fear that, when Stanley’s 10-goal striker Terry¿Gornell was stretchered off in the 77th minute following a challenge in the centre circle, it could be an end to his impressive season.

But the Reds boss is upbeat that the 10-goal hitman will not be hindered by a gash that needed six stitches just below his knee.

"It was a bad challenge when I have watched it again," said Coleman. "Their lad has tried to control the ball, lost it and then lunged but Terry should be okay."

And another post-game conversation was the sheer number of chances made by both promotion-chasing sides and the stunning saves both Stanley’s Alex Cisak and Crewe’s Rhys Taylor pulled off.

In the previous three league meetings between the two sides there were 19 goals – so after such a billing, it was destined to end goalless.

Twenty-goal rangy striker Clayton Donaldson looked unstoppable in the first 10 minutes with three good runs and two saves from Cisak while Danny Shelley had a free kick deflected but the keeper was alert to catch it.

That was a worry but Stanley finally found their feet and the first sign of them as an attacking force came when Jimmy Ryan’s first time volley on the right wing into the area found unmarked Gornell, looking to break a nine-game goalless streak, but he planted his header just wide.

Stanley then had their controversial ‘goal’ ruled out on 13 minutes when Luke Joyce played the ball in and McConville got the better of his marker six yards out but his shot hit the underside of bar and bounced down and looked over the line – but assistant Andy Hutchinson said it hadn’t crossed the line and Coleman agreed.

Then, after the early Cisak show, it was Alex stopper Taylor who was in the thick of the action, scrambling away a Gornell effort and pushing out an Ian Craney chip.

But perhaps the most vital save came on the stroke of half-time when the lively Shelley was clean through and Cisak did well to get his hand to the shot and push it away.

A goal on the stroke of half-time could have hurt the Reds.

After the break, it continued in an end-to-end vein with first Donaldson racing through with only Sean Hessey for company but his finish wasn’t up to scratch.

Captain Andy Procter had a looping header tipped over by Taylor while Crewe’s goal led a charmed life on 64 minutes.

Craney’s fierce shot was pushed out by the keeper, Ryan’s headed follow-up was somehow one-handedly scraped away by grounded Taylor and then it fell to Gornell, who had his effort from six yards out cleared off line by defender Dave Artell.

At that stage, it was obvious that one goal was going to settle this and it wasn’t a day to go goal crazy. And both sides went for it. Shelley’s blast was superbly pushed out by Cisak’s stretching hand and then it looked bleak for Stanley when they lost Gornell.

But it didn’t alter their charge for goal as his replacement Rory Boulding’s first touch was to slide the ball inches wide and fellow sub Charlie Barnett thundered a strike at goal in the 95th minute which the inspired Taylor kept out.

"It was a spirited performance and it was just lacking a goal to win the game," added Coleman.

"I don’t think we have had a great deal of luck away from home but this was one of our better performances.

"In a similar way to Barnet and Rotherham, we dominated and missed a lot of chances but took nothing from those games so at least we have taken a point so that’s progress.

"You have got to give us our due we kept in there and right at the death Charlie Barnett had a great strike. This will seem a great point if we win at Aldershot tomorrow."