Crewe Alexandra boss David Artell was disappointed that his side could not sustain their first half performance into the second 45 minutes against Port Vale. It really was a game of two halves this afternoon with not that much between the two teams, but a header from Leon Legge 15 minutes from time sealed the points for the visitors.

They also hit the crossbar through captain Tom Pope moments into the second half with our best chance seeing Chris Porter's follow-up shot from a Jordan Bowery shot cleared off the line by Leon Legge.

Following our first home defeat of the season, David told us: “We didn’t play as well in the second half, as we did in the first. We just didn’t relax and find a red shirt enough. Our decision making in the first half was good. It wasn’t in the second half. We just whacked it and we made it hard for Chris Porter and Jordan Bowery.

“We didn’t get on the ball and get a foothold in the game enough for long periods in the second half. We don’t play like that and we have to play better football than that. We became one dimensional and we didn’t create nearly enough.

“We took the easy option too much. We whacked it in the second half. We need to get the ball down and play are way in more.

“We haven’t scored enough goals overall but we have kept a number of clean-sheets as well on the flip side. We know there is room for improvement. 

“The front two combined well in the first half but we just whacked it up to them too much in the second half. They have been the two in form strikers of late, so that is why they started together. That was the reason for us trying something different this afternoon.

He added: “We are all hurting. We have lost a game of football, the first at home and it has ended our little run. Now we have to got to brush ourselves down and go again.”