David Artell was critical of his side’s dreadful start at Vale Park and said that 'we got everything we deserved' after conceding two goals in the opening eight minutes of our final Checkatrade Trophy group game.
Crewe were caught napping and we gave ourselves a mountain to climb against our near neighbours.
Following our 4-2 defeat, Artell told crewealex.net: “When you concede two goals in the opening eight minutes, you get what you deserve. If we had a training drill and said stop the opposition from scoring two in eight minutes they would do it because they would defend properly. We didn’t do that tonight.
“I didn’t think there was much in it after that. Yes they have gone and scored a fourth goal in the last minute, as we went chasing an equaliser but the start we made has cost us. I said to them before the game that we had to be right. Our mindset had to spot on and it wasn’t. We had to be in the right frame of mind to play a game of football.
“We trust the players to be ready and to have their heads right but it they cannot prepare for a game three days after another one then we have problems.
“Some will say it is tough, it isn’t tough. Working 14 hours on a shift with a half an hour break is tough. Being shot at by an enemy is tough, working as a surgeon is tough. It is not tough to get up for the game of football.
“There were some positives. Lewis has done himself no harm at all with his two goals. He has done more than that and he has to keep doing his job of scoring goals because his chance will come.
“He is the best finisher at the club and it is no coincidence that he is in there scoring goals like that. He is in there getting those Jonny on the spot type of goals. He can get the ones outside the box as well and he has to keep on getting those goals. I think that is 9 or so for the season for the Under-23s and now at first-team level.
“He is a Billy Kee type and has great techniques to go with that as well. He was a major plus.“