Alex boss says Guthrie's shirt was around his neck but officials failed to spot it.

Crewe Alexandra manager David Artell says his players were right to feel aggrieved after referee Darren Handley failed to spot an obvious shirt pull on Jon Guthrie at a corner. Supporters’ inside the Alexandra Stadium felt that the officials should have awarded a penalty after an FA directive was introduced in the summer to clamp down on the amount of infringements occurring inside penalty areas.

Crewe Alex boss David Artell believes that it side were unfortunate not to be awarded a spot kick for the foul.

He said: “It was a penalty and we didn’t get it. There is a referee in the Premier League who gives a penalty for shirt pulling almost every week and we were a victim of it. Jon’s shirt was around his neck by the time the lad let go of him.

“We were told in the summer that it would be stopped, so to not get them is wrong. It would be nice to get a decision like that but we cannot rely on it and I am not overly moaning about it. He missed it and we move on.”