Boss heaps praise on his match winner at Victoria Park after he asked to fulfil different roles in 1-0 win.
David Artell praised Callum Ainley’s ‘football brain’ after he was asked to play different roles for the team in the wake of Billy Sass-Davies’ red card in only the 12th minute at Hartlepool.
Ten man Crewe battled away for the remainder of the game with Ainley clinically hitting the winner with a controlled volley after Owen Dale’s initial effort was saved.
Crewe more than just held on for their 1-0 victory and even had chances to go and add another, but Artell was once again delighted for his match winner.
The boss told the club’s official website: “We went with 4-3-2 to get through to half-time and went a bit bolder at times in the second half by pushing Callum (Ainley) further forward. You cannot do that for 45 minutes with 10 men, so you have to be cute and decide when you are going to do it.
“I said to Callum at half-time that I felt sorry for him because we were asking him to play three different roles in one and half games but he took on board and that is great credit to his footballing brain.
“He has an outstanding football brain and knew where the game was at and what we wanted him to do, and he ends up hitting the winner and I am absolutely delighted for him.”