Crewe Alexandra boss David Artell said that his stand-in goalkeeper, Dave Richards, did all he could in the penalty shoot-out against Hull last night. Richards saved two penalties to give Crewe a great chance of progressing in the competition but Oli Finney struck his spot-kick over the top of the crossbar and Regan Griffiths and Offrande Zanzala saw theirs saved by George Long.

Following the 3-2 shoot-out defeat, Artell told the club’s official website: “Dave did everything he could, saving two out of five penalties, but this time it wasn’t quite enough.

“I won’t criticise those who step up to take a penalty in a shoot-out. Although there were no fans inside the stadium, it is still a test for them. They had the courage to take one and it is what it is.

“When it got to a penalty shoot-out, we knew we had a chance because Dave has a good record of saving them. He relishes the challenge and when the whistle went, Owen Dale, clapped his hand and went ‘brilliant, we have a great chance because of Dave’ and we all turned and told him not to jinx it.

“We were thinking the same thing though because he practices saving them with the lads in training. He is always ribbing them saying ‘try again’ and all that and it is a great attitude to have.

“He made two great saves again but this time it just wasn’t enough for us.”