Alex boss praises forwards after they all get up and running in pre-season

Crewe Alexandra boss Steve Davis admits he is pleased that his forward players have all been able to get off the mark in pre-season. AJ Leitch-Smith left it awfully late at Nantwich Town on Saturday to register his first goal of the pre-season, but that is everyone off the mark and battling for places as that first competitive game against Hartlepool in the Captial One Cup looms on August 11th.

Davis is delighted that his forwards have been able to gain confidence by scoring goals in the club's recent friendly outings and he will be hoping that continues at Pewsey Vale and then against Championship opposition Bolton, Huddersfield and Barnsley.

Steve told the club's official web-site: "It is always good for the strikers to be amongst the goals in pre-season and everyone is off the mark now. Pogs has scored four in four and so has Byron Moore so far. and Max has scored three and AJ scored at Nantwich as well, so that is healthy.

"The longer you go without a goal as a striker, the more worried or concerned they become, so to have them all off the mark has been a bonus for us.

The manager added: "We want them all hitting the net and giving us a selection problem for the start of the season. I think we have scored some very good goals and some different goals, especially with Pogs giving us something different up there with his ability in the air."