Steve Davis says he has been left stratching his had after Crewe let half time lead slip again.

Steve Davis has told the club’s official web-site that he has been left scratching his head again after his Crewe Alexandra side couldn’t sustain their first half display into the second half...again. Marcus Haber fired Crewe into an early lead for the third game running as a team but we couldn’t force home that second goal and Walsall’s second half pressure finally told when a shot from Tom Bradshaw deflected off the face of Harry Davis to wrong foot Paul Rachubka.

Following a third successive 1-1 draw, Steve told crewealex.net: “It was a cruel goal to concede but that can happen and the pressure told. On another day it could have bounced wide or bounced into Paul but it didn’t.

“I thought we were excellent in the first half and bright with our attacking play. We were on the front foot and really got after them. We scored early again and it was the third time we have led and then ended up drawing the game.

“I don’t know why that has been the case and it has left us scratching our heads a bit. We haven’t been able to sustain that level of performance in the second half. We have been able to stay on the front foot and sustain those energy levels. 

“It keeps happening and it is difficult to take and it is something we have to assess and sort out. I asked the players again afterwards and they didn’t have the answers. Maybe it is nervous tension and it is sapping their energy levels because of the situation. I don’t know.

“I didn’t particularly want to take Marcus off because I thought he was excellent in everything he did when he was out there. He gave us everything he had but he tired and we ended up carrying him. I had to make a change because he was struggling physically.

“He can’t last the games and I thought Ryan would give us some legs.

“Losing Chris so early didn’t help matter and we have picked up a few injuries of late. We have lost Tatey, Nessy, Ben…Toots would have started today if he was 100% with his ankle. We have to get on with it

He added: “Chris made a tackle and the lad has landed on him and dislocated his shoulder, so he won’t be play again this season. “