David Artell admits that there were not too many positives to take from Tuesday night’s 1-1 draw with fellow strugglers Doncaster Rovers, but one was to end a run of four successive defeats in League One.

Crewe scored first through Chris Porter on 33 minutes, but were pinned back on the stroke of half-time and the second half become something of a non-event and it ended in stalemate.

The Alex boss told the club’s official website: “We didn’t lose and that is a step in the right direction. There were good bits in the first half. We should have gone in at the interval in front but we didn’t. The second half became something of a non-event.

“It became two teams that became a bit nervy and didn’t want to lose. On one hand that is understandable but on the other we wanted someone for us to grab the game by the horns and play our football. It didn’t really happen in that second half for us.

“In a way the players were caught between a rock and a hard place and we didn’t do enough to win the game. There is a frustration that comes with that but it is another point on the board and we have two cup games coming now where we have to build on that and try and build some momentum to take into our league form.”