Lee Bell was taking the positives after Saturday’s 0-0 draw at Accrington Stanley.

Crewe Alexandra had to settle for a share of the spoils after a battling performance at Wham Stadium.

While the Manager wanted all three points, he was pleased with elements of the display.

Bell, who was unable to call upon 10 injured first-teamers, said: “I thought the players gave it everything and emptied themselves on the pitch.

“Yes, we are lacking numbers, but we have faced that before and we won’t make excuses. I’m delighted with the work ethic.

“We needed a response to the Forest Green game and it was back to basics a bit. We knew it wasn’t going to be a vintage performance but we made sure our shape was right.

“I thought we looked the most likely side to win it but, although we got into some good positions, the final ball let us down.”

Crewe stayed sixth in League Two after the weekend’s fixtures. They travel to Morecambe on Tuesday (7.45pm).