Finnish striker hoping to finish this season like the last...

The fit-again Lauri Dalla Valle is hoping that he can have a major impact in helping Crewe Alexandra retain their League One status again.

The Club’s Finnish striker returned from ankle ligament damage to take his place on the substitutes’ bench for the visit of Blackpool on Saturday and although he wasn’t used as Crewe slipped to a disappointing 2-1 defeat, it was a boost to have the former Liverpool and Fulham back from injury.

Dalla Valle made a great impact last season, scoring four goals in the last eight games and a repeat of that kind of form wouldn’t go amiss at the moment.

Ahead of our Easter fixtures, Lauri told the club’s official web-site: “It has been a very frustrating season, especially over the last four or five months but injuries are part of football and the professional game and your target has to be to get back as quickly as possible.

“The injury is in the past now and you just have to work as hard as you can day in and day out to get back and help the team. I am just happy to be back now.

“My fitness is good because I have still been able to do work on the bike, in the pool and out running. I am ready and available if the manager needs me.

“All I want to do is come back and help the team get results. I know that if I can put chances away and score goals then we have more chance of winning games, so that is what I will be looking to do.

Lauri added: “We have big games now because we need virtually need some points out of all of them to give ourselves a chance. The belief is there. We just have to try and make sure we are there when we start to the play the teams that are in and around us towards the end of the season. “