Crewe Alexandra boss David Artell believes that it was a really good sign that his players were deflated after last weekend’s 1-0 win over Morecambe.

A late goal from substitute Shaun Miller sealed the points for the Railwaymen in what had been a poor quality game, but Artell was encouraged by the reaction of his players.

David told crewealex.net: “The players were deflated in the dressing room last weekend and we didn’t have to tell them. They knew but I take that as a real positive. That is a good sign.

“They were disappointed after winning a game of football and that is because they have set a standard. When they fall below that, regardless of the result, they know. They know they have to play better than that.

“We got a bit lucky to win the game against Morecambe when we didn’t play particularly well. We played a lot better at Luton but ended up getting nothing from it.

“Now normally, if you play well you usually get a result and visa-versa. If we play like we did against Morecambe then you would be in for a long, hard season. That is the reality of it.

Dave added: “You can play badly and win and play well and not win, but usually a good performance ends in a positive result. “