Crewe boss Lee Bell salutes returning pair after Cheltenham win

Lee Bell praised the impact made by the returning Josh March and Mickey Demetriou as the experienced duo helped Crewe to their first win in four games.

Marsh struck a brace and Demetriou claimed an assist as the Railwaymen bounced back from their dismal defeat at bottom club Newport three days ago with a 4-1 win at home to Cheltenham.

Bell’s team made the most of a string of unenforced Cheltenham errors in the first half to ease to an emphatic win, although visiting boss Steve Cotterill claimed his side were the better team.

Bell was glad to welcome back Demetriou for his first game since November 15 and the club skipper’s presence tightened things up defensively as Crewe built a three-goal lead by just past the half-hour mark.

“Mickey gave everything and he is one of the best captains I’ve ever seen. To have a player like him that is so influential has an impact on the team, “ said the Crewe boss.

“Mickey and Josh are really important to us as we have a really young squad. The players need Mickey and Josh and they are vital to us moving forward.

“It was good to have them back as when you lose five or six of your best players it has an effect. I always expect a reaction from the team, but I’m not a magician so when you do get a few experienced players back it does make a difference.

“We should have had a couple more, but it was a really good, professional performance. We nullified what Cheltenham did and they were the sixth most in-form team in the league.”

Matus Holicek finished the rebound after Joe Day pushed out a Calum Agius shot for Crewe’s opener after just 45 seconds.

March then scored from close range after Tommi O’Reilly’s angled shot flew past Day, who was beaten at his near post when James Connolly diverted home Demetriou’s drive for the third.

But George Miller pulled a goal back in the 43rd minute and Cheltenham were much improved in the second half, Isaac Hutchinson forcing Sam Waller into a brilliant save to preserve the hosts’ two-goal advantage.

March’s second, a superb header beyond Day from a pinpoint Agius free-kick in the 77th minute, ended Cheltenham’s hopes of a comeback.

Cotterill said: “We were on the end of a scoreline we didn’t deserve. We made mistakes that put Crewe three up early in the game.

“Although we’ve lost we’ve been the better team today and certainly in the second half. I feel for the guys as anyone can make a mistake. I’m proud of them and I will forget that scoreline as, if we play like that most weeks, we will win more games than we lose.

“At 3-1 if we’d got another goal we could easily have not got beaten. The crowd were getting edgy at that stage.

“I was pleased for George Miller to get back on the pitch and get himself a goal as he’s been out a long time and I thought Jake Bickerstaff deserved a goal after he came on as he was excellent.”