Lee Bell ready to let Crewe players ‘switch off’ after victory at Notts County

Posted Sunday, February 25, 2024 by PA

Crewe manager Lee Bell wants his players to relish their 3-1 victory at Notts County after they jumped back into the Sky Bet League Two automatic promotion places.

Mickey Demetriou glanced Crewe’s opener home before Elliott Nevitt doubled their lead with a penalty. Josh Austerfield added the visitors’ third with a shot from outside the area and Jim O’Brien grabbed a consolation goal for the Magpies.

The Alex boss said: “I want the players to enjoy it, they have to enjoy it.

“I don’t quite tell them when they can stop enjoying it, they can switch off and enjoy it over the next couple of days and realise and put that real belief into them about what we’re after and what we want to achieve this season.

“It’s so hard for the staff to enjoy it because sometimes you are only as good as your last result, but I am in the house on my own tonight so I will enjoy it!”

With 12 games left of the season, Bell commended his side’s attitude and belief from everyone involved but did not want to get too carried away with their latest triumph.

“I think that is the important thing that we have been able to achieve this season is that we now have a competitive squad with good players,” he said.

“I keep saying it, but they are just good lads and if you have that, then you have a chance.

“They have outstanding character, and they were brilliant today and that takes you a long way, and winning football matches breathes confidence and the togetherness we have got, but they have got to keep wanting to improve and have high standards and in 12 games’ time we will see where we are.”

Magpies boss Stuart Maynard was once again left frustrated, with his side yet to win at home in the new year.

Defending attacks is something the County boss insists they are working on, while he felt Aaron Nemane’s wayward effort may have changed the outcome of the game had it gone in.

“It’s a game that felt like Gillingham,” he said. “I know we went 1-0 up in that game but if you look at the goals we have conceded as a group, it’s really frustrating because it is another team that has come to Meadow Lane that has not had to do a lot to beat us, and that is the frustration.

“When you give the opposition a head start in this division, it is very difficult to come back no matter who you are. As a group, we need to continue to work on it, we are working on it and we need to do because you can see it.

“We couldn’t get that goal just before half-time and if we score that, I think it becomes a different game.”