Boss firmly focussed on getting the job done against a spirited Eastleigh side

David Artell is pleased that his Crewe Alexandra side have another opportunity to progress to the third round of the FA Cup this evening by defeating Eastleigh. The first encounter at the Silverlake Stadium ended in an entertaining 1-1 draw in front of the TV cameras and it was a tie that could have gone either way with the Alex having the better of the first half and the National League side, the better of the second period.

Artell told the club’s official website: “It was a tough game down there and it will be a tough game again at home but we are at home. We have a good home record, we are in front of our own fans and we have to be confident.

“The game down there could have gone either way in the end. We could have been out of sight in the first half with the chances we had but we didn’t perform as well as we did in the second half and you have to credit Eastleigh for the way they played in the second half, especially in the last 20 minutes.

“It was fine margins and the most important thing was that we are in the hat. We have another chance to put things right.

“I don’t want to talk too much about the third round because we have a tough game against Eastleigh first.

“The third round is a big occasion in the calendar. The first round is for non-league teams and the third round is a big day for all those that are left from the non-league and the league. The aim is progress and then we will talk about the third round.”