Crewe Alexandra manager David Artell was pleased with his side’s second half response after a first half he described as ‘not acceptable’.

Crewe lost 1-0 to League One side Oldham to exit the Checkatrade Trophy, but Artell says that the second half showing was a positive, as we created enough chances to possibly have drawn or even won the cup-tie.

The Alex boss told the club’s official website: “We told the lads at half-time in no uncertain terms that it wasn’t acceptable and once we explained to them what we wanted them to do, we were a lot better. I thought we were the better side in the second half and their gaffer said as much afterwards as well. We were not miles better than them, but I thought we shaded the second half and had chances to score two or three.

“It is a defeat and we are not dressing anything up. They should have been out of sight before half time and Dave Richards has made two good saves again. Saying that we had a clear penalty when Porter had his shirt pulled two yards from goal just as he was going to head it in and he gives a handball against Chris.

“The critical decision on the night he gets wrong and that is the way things are going for us.

“We were better going forward in the second half, Zooms shot widely from 8 yards and Callum shot straight at the keeper. There was plenty of goal mouth action in the second half but in the first half we struggled to work it out.

“That could be bit of inexperience or being naïve as young players but we have a few older ones as well. It’s a bit of tactical awareness but I was pleased with the response in the second half.

“It was a game of two halves and we gave it a go in the second half against a League One side, who have turned a bit of corner under their new gaffer. They have won two on the bounce. They were superior to us in the first half and we were marginally better than them in the second half.

He added: “Football is decided in both boxes and we were not as clinical as them but we were not miles away either. “