Boss hails Dale's unbelievable moment of skill that saw us salvage a point late on at the Pirelli Stadium.

David Artell says that a moment of magic from Owen Dale saved his side from a really frustrating defeat at Burton Albion. Dale produced an acrobatic equaliser from a corner with a little over four minutes remaining at the Pirelli Stadium.

Burton had taken the lead on 76 minutes from a corner of their own, with defender Sam Hughes, heading it at the far post to leave Crewe chasing the game in the closing stages. Dale's stunning overhead kick drew Crewe level in a game we controlled possession wise.

Following the 1-1 draw, the Alex boss told us: “I said to them at half time that I was bored and that we need to have that drive to go and win the game. We controlled the game but we need to go and try and create some chances and look to score.

“We didn’t do that in the first half and I was disappointed with that. We did more of it in the second half and their goalkeeper has made some good saves from Murph, Wintle and they had one cleared off the line.

“I thought a goal was coming and it did for them from a corner! It was disappointing to concede from the set-piece and we then had to go and score to get a point when it should have been three. We deserved to win the game but it has taken a moment of magic from Owen to make sure we at least got a point.

“That is the positive thing to take from it. We didn’t lose it. We have been on the end of a few of those 1-0 defeats when we haven’t deserved to be, so at least we didn’t have another one today. That is the flip side, if we cannot win, make sure we don’t lose.

“It was an unbelievable piece of skill from Owen. I thought he was the best of our attacking players in the first half and he took that into the second half. It is two goals in two games for him now and he is really taking that on.”

On the inclusion of league debutant, Travis Johnson, in for the suspended Perry Ng, the boss said: “Travis was excellent. I didn’t take him off the pitch because he was poor, it was just that he was on a booking and we thought Luke (Offord) would offer us a bit more of an attacking threat in the last few minutes.

“As league debuts go, it was a mistake free one, up against their best player, Vernam and it was a very pleasing start from him.

He added: “We are disappointed not to have won the game but we go again with another three game week and we will be ready.”