Crewe Alexandra

Dan Wheeler
BBC Sport

Image source, Shutterstock

Crewe assistant manager Ryan Dicker says scoring more goals is "that last piece of the puzzle" as the Railwaymen prepare to head to Swindon on Saturday.

Unbeaten Alex have three wins and six successive draws from nine games in League Two this season.

They ended that run of draws with an impressive 3-1 win against Bristol Rovers last weekend.

That took their league goal tally to 11 and Dicker said they have been working on trying to be more lethal in the box.

"The confidence has always been high - I don't think the players have doubted themselves," Dicker told BBC Radio Stoke.

"In most performances so far we've been good, we've just been missing that last piece of the puzzle, which is putting the ball in the back of the net - the hardest thing to do.

"We know the quality we've got. It's about making sure when we get opportunities we convert them.

"There have been large moments where we've played really good football, created good opportunities but not been clinical.

"The York game, for the first 25 minutes, we were excellent, we took a goal early but had chances to build on that and didn't - that's been our problem in recent fixtures up until the Bristol game."

Crewe have spread their 11 league goals across six scorers, with Adrien Thibaut, Joel Ewusi and Luca Moore on target in cup competitions.

Dicker said that was "really pleasing" and highlighted the importance of more players chipping in, as they did in the run to the play-off final three seasons ago.

"You have to have goals coming from all different areas," he added.

"The year we missed out in the play-off final, we had Nev [Elliott Nevitt] who got [nearly] 20 goals, Mickey [Demetriou] got double figures, we had players in midfield getting close to 10 goals. It's important that different units contribute.

"But it's good to see that we're getting goals from different areas [this season] - Jordan [Gibson] has got three goals in four games.

"Charlie's [McNeill] attitude has been excellent. He's not got as many minutes yet but on Tuesday [in the EFL Trophy] he threatened, linked the play and got his goal.

"It's pleasing we saw those signs and we're hopefully starting to convert chances."

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Crewe Alexandra manager Lee Bell has said the youth players who got their first-team opportunity in Tuesday's Jersey Mike Trophy tie against Blackpool have to use the experience as motivation to get more opportunities.

The Alex started with 16-year-old striker Joel Ewusi and centre-back Tom Graves, 17, in the 2-2 draw against the Tangerines - before losing on penalties - with debutant striker Noah Bell and full-back Ryan Chadwick, both 17, coming off the bench in the second half.

"The character they showed and the way they tried to apply themselves in the game, I thought we were tremendous," Bell told BBC Radio Stoke.

"For the younger players, what they have to do is they can't rely on being out there they've now got to show that again on Saturday.

"For the youth team that has to be a must - the same attitude, same desire, same wanting to improve and listening to their coaches, because they won't get picked for the next time it comes around if they don't.

"We're monitoring all that type of stuff all the time, the work rate in training, so they've got to now go and produce it, they can't have that lull after such a high of playing."

The game also saw Sheffield Wednesday loanee Charlie McNeill score his first goal for the club to force the match to penalties and then convert his spot-kick in the shoot-out, which Crewe lost 4-2.

Although McNeill has featured in all nine League Two games so far, he has only started twice and Bell said he understands the player's frustration.

"He's going to be annoyed, as long as [he's] annoyed with me and not his performance.

"I thought his attitude was absolutely brilliant. He's chomping at the bit to get a start and he tucked away two penalties - I think it will do him the world of good.

"He's going to get his opportunity and he's definitely going to score goals for us."

Image source, Getty Images

Crewe Alexandra midfielder Jack Lankester says their 3-1 win over Bristol Rovers was exactly what was needed after a run of six straight draws in League Two.

Having had to settle for single points against Port Vale, Walsall, York City, Colchester United, Shrewsbury Town and Rotherham United, the Alex returned to winning ways in style with a confident victory over the Gas.

Lankester's opening goal after 38 seconds got Crewe off to the perfect start and he later added a second from the spot.

Jordan Gibson made the points safe after half-time before Rovers grabbed a stunning consolation as Bobby Kamwa scored from midway inside his own half.

The victory lifted Crewe into third place and Lankester said the result put a valuable gloss on their recent run.

"That's what we've needed. I think it's been coming," he told BBC Radio Stoke.

"I said before the game, the draws look a lot better if we come away with a win and that's what we did.

"Suddenly we're still undefeated and in a great position in the league."

Lankester said he had no problem being substituted just after the hour mark, to be replaced by Conor Thomas, despite being on a hat-trick.

"I'd love to get a hat-trick but the way the game was going the personnel change -bring CT on - just solidifies us as a team.

"The most important thing is coming away with three points and that's what we did."

Lankester's double was his second of the season, having scored twice against Aston Villa's Under-21 side in the EFL Trophy 11 days earlier.

It took his tally to five in 11 games this term, after an injury-hit 2025-26, and has given him - and the Alex - a timely boost.

"I think the two goals in the week really helped to give me confidence. I've now got five in 10 or so games - hopefully I can continue that," he added.

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Crewe Alexandra midfielder Joe White says although the team's current run of draws gives a feeling they "cannot win or lose games at the moment" it does help build confidence by making them feel "safe" in matches.

After winning their first two games of the new League Two season, the Alex have picked up six points from stalemates with Port Vale, Walsall, York City, Colchester United, Shrewsbury Town and Rotherham United.

Their only defeat came at Barnsley in the first round of the Carabao Cup.

White told BBC Radio Stoke, as frustrating as their run of draws has been, he is clear how it has made the squad feel.

"Confident," he said.

"I think over the eight league games we've had, there's obviously been spells where you're going to be under the cosh but, in general, we've felt quite safe. We haven't felt under threat under a large period of time in games.

"It's a bit of a weird one because we can't seem to win or lose but it's a good thing that we're unbeaten and obviously [that] brings confidence into the team."

The goalless draw at Vale Park at the end of August is the only game in which Crewe have failed to score.

And White says that fact is another reason why they believe better results are imminent.

"That's why we're not beating ourselves up," he added.

"We obviously know we need to do better because six points from six isn't good enough.

"We just need to put that into a 90-minute performance. Because we haven't converted as many chances as we would have liked, it feels a bit rushed, but that's not on the front four, that's on everyone.

"Everyone needs to create chances. Everyone needs to score goals. I am responsible for that, and the whole team should be as well."

Crewe take on third-placed Bristol Rovers at the Mornflake Stadium on Saturday in a game White says Crewe "expect to win".

"Before the season started they were probably one of the favourites to go up with the squad, the manager [Steve Evans] obviously having his record in the league, so it'll be tough," White said.

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Crewe Alexandra have made a double signing, bringing in Celtic midfielder Kyle Ure on loan, hours after agreeing a similar deal with Brentford defender Josh Stephenson.

Ure, 20, is yet to make a first-team breakthrough at Parkhead, but he did spend the 2025-26 season out on loan at Scottish Championship side Aye United, making 18 appearances.

He will spend the season with the Alex and is the second Celtic midfielder to leave for an English club in the past week, following Arne Engels' record-breaking move to West Ham.

Left-back Stephenson, also 20, has joined Crewe on loan from the Premier League Bees until January 2027.

The former Millwall academy graduate was promoted to Brentford's first-team squad this summer and will now develop his senior experience at the Mornflake Stadium.

Image source, Reuters

Stephenson, who can also play at centre-back, was named in three Premier League matchday squads and two in the FA Cup for Brentford's first team last term, but is yet to make a senior appearance.

Ure and Stephenson follow the signings of strikers Jordan Gibson and Sheffield Wednesday loan man Charlie McNeill, centre-back Luke Offord and fellow midfielder Joe White this summer.

Both are in contention to make debuts in Saturday's League Two game against Northampton Town.