Arsenal loanee Okonkwo earns rave reviews after back-to-back clean sheets 

Arsenal loanee Arthur Okonkwo earned rave reviews for his performance during Crewe Alexandra's 1-0 win over Colchester United in a League Two match at the Mornflake Stadium on Saturday, November 12.

The Hale End Academy graduate made some outstanding saves to ensure victory for Crewe Alexandra, denying the likes of Alex Newby and Luke Hannant from finding the net. 

Three minutes into the game, Okonkwo saved a long-range shot from Hannant and in the 26th minute he had no problems dealing with another shot from distance, before saving a low drive from the Colchester United number 7 with his left arm.

Nineteen minutes to the end of the game, the Anglo-Nigerian glovesman dived to the right to keep Newby's effort away. 

Dan Agyei netted the winner for the home team when he nodded home a superb cross from former Chelsea wingback of Nigerian descent Tariq Uwakwe with ten minutes left on the clock. 

Speaking after the game, Crewe Alexandra interim boss told the club's official website : "Arthur (Okonkwo) has kept us in the game with two brilliant saves. But this group of players stick in there, work their socks off, and I’m absolutely delighted to win." 

In their weekly review of the players loaned out, Arsenal wrote on Okonkwo : "In League Two, Arthur Okonkwo pulled off a brilliant performance between the posts for Crewe Alexandra to keep a clean sheet in their victory over Colchester United."

This is the first time in Okonkwo's career that he has managed to keep back-to-back clean sheets in what was his nineteenth competitive match as a professional. 

The 21-year-old registered his sixth clean sheet of the season in a 1-0 win against Leyton Orient in the first round of the FA Cup before the visit of Colchester United. 

Ifeanyi Emmanuel 

Photo Credit : crewealex.net

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