Artell happy to win ugly

Posted Wednesday, November 28, 2018 by PA

David Artell admitted his Crewe side played better in defeat three days before a super solo finish from Shaun Miller put the seal on a 2-0 victory over Cambridge.

Artell had bemoaned his side’s failure to take their chances as they crashed to a 3-0 loss at Crawley at the weekend. In contrast, his side posed no threat at all in the first half on Tuesday but still led after a poor clearance from Jevani Brown, which the winger sliced across his box, was punished by Callum Ainley.

Ainley was well placed to shoot first time past David Forde from eight yards for his third goal in three games.

While Cambridge enjoyed large swathes of possession they could not carve out a clear opening and Miller turned and twisted away from several defenders before firing high into the net to seal Crewe’s win, which was their first against Cambridge in 24 years.

Crewe boss Artell said: “The irony is that it wasn’t a very good game and we played 10 times better on Saturday, but the result is what is important.

“We created our own luck in that we pressurised their lad into a mistake and then Shaun’s goal was a terrific solo effort.

“He has got that sort of finish in his locker. It was a great solo effort and we need to see him do it more often.

“It was a real workmanlike performance that got us a hard-earned and well deserved victory. But we have to keep going and keep believing as we are not far off being higher up the league.”

The game livened up after the break when Crewe looked more likely to add to their tally, with Ainley’s 20-yard effort kept out by Forde before Charlie Kirk contrived to head James Jones’ free-kick against the upright from two yards out.

Reggie Lambe’s deflected effort which flicked the top of the upright was the nearest Cambridge got to an equaliser, but the game was taken beyond them by Miller’s superb piece of individual play.

Cambridge Head Coach Joe Dunne admitted his side’s lack of creativity disappointed him.

He said: “I’m devastated as we were nothing tonight.

“Their first goal unfortunately has been cleared across our own box and for the second we gave (Miller) the freedom of our 18-yard box – it was not good enough.

“It wasn’t a great game and we could never get any passing going. The first goal didn’t help us but we gave the ball away too often.

“We came with a plan and having played with 10 men on Saturday we knew we would have to make changes, but it was just not a very good performance. We have got four or five games in December and we have got to do better and show some steps of recovery.”