The Blues home game with Crewe Alexandra remains 0-0 at the break but with the visitors having had the better of the first half.
Town boss Paul Lambert has made one change with Alan Judge replacing Jack Lankester in the advanced midfield role.
Lankester started the previous two games following his lengthy injury absence so it was little surprise that the youngster dropped to the bench, replacing Armando Dobra.
Judge returned having missed the last two matches with a hamstring injury, while Kayden Jackson was back among the subs having recovered from Covid-19. For Crewe, Tom Lowery came into the midfield for Luke Murphy.
With rain falling heavily as it had done in the hours up to the game, neither side threatened in the opening minutes.
On six, a dangerous Harry Pickering free-kick from the Crewe left was headed off Tomas Holy by Luke Offord and Town broke quickly. Judge played an excellent cross-field pass for Sears, however, the former West Ham man’s first touch was too heavy and Alex keeper Will Jaaskelainen claimed.
The visitors were seeing more of the ball in the early stages and Holy was forced to save down to his right in the 14th minute when Owen Dale hit a low shot from the right of the box fizzing across the slick surface.
There was a scare for the Blues in the 20th minute when Dozzell gave away possession with a wayward pass and the Railwaymen broke away three against two into the Town half. The Blues got men back quickly, however, and Judge slid in to make a challenge on the edge of the area and the danger was cleared.
A minute later, Crewe skipper Perry Ng beat Mark McGuinness on the edge of the box but failed to trouble Holy with his low shot.
Penalty area action at the other end of the field was non-existent until the 23rd minute when a Ward ball in from the left was diverted behind ahead of Oli Hawkins by Offord. The corner was cleared to the edge of the box from where Dozzell hit a shot against a defender.
The Blues had started to see more of the ball and in the 28th minute Edwards struck an effort from distance which flew well past Jaaskelainen’s right post.
But a minute later the Alex should have been in front. Following a well-worked move, Pickering floated a cross from the edge of the area on the left to the far post from where Dale knocked it down to Lowery five yards out. The midfielder seemed certain to score until Holy blocked superbly.
The Railwaymen, who had passed the ball around with far greater confidence than Town throughout the half, threatened again in the 32nd minute when Ng sent over a low cross from the right but too far in front of Mikael Mandron and Holy claimed.
Town were next to create an opportunity. Edwards sent over a cross from the right which reached Sears at the far post but the ball struck the ex-Colchester man, who had presumably been unsighted, and bounced wide.
The Blues could count themselves fortunate to be on terms at the break with the visitors having had much the better of the half and the period’s one outstanding chance. While Holy read the situation brilliantly and made a terrific stop, Lowery will feel he really should have taken the opportunity.
Town had been out-passed by the fluent Railwaymen with Jaaskelainen still to be tested as he made his way off at the break.
A Blues change of personnel ahead of the second half wouldn’t be a huge shock with Keanan Bennetts appearing to be warming up.
Town: Holy, Chambers (c), McGuinness, Woolfenden, Ward, Dozzell, Bishop, Judge, Edwards, Hawkins, Sears. Subs: Cornell, Nsiala, Kenlock, Huws, Lankester, Bennetts, Jackson.
Crewe: Jaaskelainen, Ng (c), Pickering, Wintle, Lowery, Kirk, Ainley, Mandron, Offord, Dale, Beckles. Subs: Richards, Powell, Porter, Finney, Zanzala, Johnson, Murphy. Referee: Trevor Kettle (Rutland).