Alex Morris has demanded a ’90-minute performance’ from his players when they visit Hartlepool United tonight (Tuesday, 7.45pm).

The manager is targeting all three points on the seaside but says Crewe Alexandra will have to perform well in both halves to collect them.

Morris explained: “We’ve put in some fantastic first-half performances this season, but the second-halves have been weaker. We all know that, and that’s the next step for this team.

“Ultimately, it comes down to me and the management team. We have to come up with solutions. And if it doesn’t happen quickly we need Plan Bs and Plan Cs to make it happen.

“Over the course of this week, we feel we have come up with lots of solutions that we are confident will make a difference.

“We are going to go to Hartlepool to try to win the game, and put in a 90-minute performance.”

Paul Hartley’s side have made a slow start to the campaign and will start the game lying second-from-bottom, with just three points from three draws.

But Morris warned his men that they still face a tough proposition.

He added: “When you go away to any club in this league you’ll have to fight hard for the points.

“While they have not had a good start, that will just make them more determined and we have to guard against that.

“You don’t get anything in football without working hard, and we know it will be a very difficult game.

“That said, we are going there with the expectation of winning the game – we have to because if we have aspirations of doing anything this season, we have to aspire to win every game we play.”