Crewe Alexandra manager David Artell is targeting another consistent half of the season to make sure we remain right in the promotion mix. The Railwaymen ended 2019 with a 3-1 home win over Scunthorpe United and in doing so have cemented o third spot entering the New Year.

Crewe host Carlisle United on New Years’ Day and Artell wants his side to kick-off 2020 in much the same way.

He told crewealex.net: “We have been fairly consistent in 2019 and are third in the league with a game in hand. It has given us a chance whatever that chance may turn out to be. There is no point not talking about it.

“We are up there and we have to keep going. We are not getting carried away because there is half a season to go and we want to start 2020 in the same way. If we can make the second half of the season as consistent as the first, then we have a great chance.

“I think the belief is there, I think it was there from the second half of last season. By then it was just too late because we had spent the first part of the season drilling into them that they were good enough.

“They can all see that now. We are a year on and they have to keep churning out results and see where that takes us.”