Crewe Alexandra boss David Artell has admitted that Lewis Reilly’s hat-trick in the Cheshire Senior Cup against Cheadle Town has given him food for thought for the club’s upcoming away double header against Stevenage and Yeovil.

Reilly is battling it out with the more senior professionals, Chris Porter, Alex Nicholls, Shaun Miller and Jordan Bowery for a starting role in one of the forward positions.

Reilly has been limited to just a few minutes of first team action this season when coming on as a late substitute against Fleetwood in a League Cup tie.

David told the club’s official website: “I said to the forwards before the game on Tuesday that I want them to get in and around their box. They did that.

“I said to Lewis that I expect him to have the matchball at the end of the game and he did that. He delivered what I thought he would.

“It wasn’t much of a challenge for him and the others, but he got in the box and took his goals. That is all we can ask of him and if we can do that at first-team level then he has a great future in the game.”