David Artell gives us his post match reaction following home loss to Stevenage

David Artell says that his Crewe Alexandra team ‘got what they deserved’ after they slipped to their first defeat in four matches after we conceded two poor goals from set-plays. Crewe were awarded a passage back into the game when James Jones smashed home a penalty with 20 minutes to go but unlike last week at Blackpool, we couldn’t find an equaliser.

Following the 2-1 defeat, Artell told the club’s official web-site: “I thought we got what we deserved this afternoon because you cannot give away two goals and expect to get something from the game. We managed it last week at Blackpool but couldn’t today. We huffed and puffed and on another day we could have nicked one but we didn't.

You cannot afford to only play for 45 minutes in a game of football and concede horrific goals like that. They are a decent team and that is us conceding from set-pieces again. That’s four goals from set pieces in the last three or so games and I’ve always said we don’t want that becoming our Achilles Heel. It cannot happen and in League Two it is critical.  “We gave ourselves a mountain to climb again and we cannot afford to do that every week.

“They had some half chances but they haven’t opened us up and I am disappointed with the goals we have conceded because those mistakes have cost us.

“We have huffed and puffed but we couldn’t find that goal to nick a point. I said to them at half time that they were well below the standard they have set, well below. They kept the ball better than us and I want us to have that real desire to get on the ball more.

“The sending off rocked them more than us and their game management was better than us. I am not surprised by that.

“We improved in the second half and looked far more dangerous but we cannot start the way we did and expect anything.

On the red card incident, Artell says he genuinely didn’t see it but says that again one of our players has given the referee the chance to show him a red card.

Artell told us: “I genuinely didn’t see it. Daggers has caught him as he has gone in for it and I thought it was a yellow card. I said that to their bench but then the goalkeeper has taken a whack at him but I haven’t seen it on the video, so I will reserve judgement on that until I do.

“Again though Daggers has given the referee the chance to send him off. If he has reacted and retaliated then he can have no complaints because you cannot do it. The referee would have no option.”