Crewe Alexandra manager, David Artell, says that the introduction of his three substitutes on Saturday helped shift the game back into our favour against a very good Exeter City side - but the boss believes that that the tide was already changing before Daniel Powell, Paul Green and Chuma Anene came on with us 1-0 down.

Anene was the hero with a splendidly taken equaliser after a Harry Pickering cross dropped to him inside the box.

Artell said of his subs impact: “That is what you want as a manager. That is what you need them to do and they helped us, but I must say that I thought the tide was turning before that.

“I thought that we were getting more control of the game and were the better team. The subs came on and gave us another lift.

“The players had a better understanding in the second half of what they needed to do to affect Exeter and the three subs gave us another push.

He added: “I’ve said all along that we will need more than 11, 18 players. We will need 24, 25 players. All our players will play their part. “