WE CAN BUILD ON THIS - LUKE

CREWE Alexandra captain Luke Offord believes the club can look forward to better fortunes in 2023-24 having successfully ‘stopped the rot’ this season.

- Dave Flett

The Railwaymen’s relegation to League Two was confirmed on this day a year ago following a 2-0 loss at Doncaster – their 15th in a sorry 16-game sequence.

And, by the end of the campaign, no EFL team had suffered more league defeats than Crewe’s 31. The trauma could, by Offord’s own admission, have sent the club into a ‘downward spiral’.

But, heading into the Easter programme, the Gresty Road outfit’s record of 13 defeats was only one fewer than promotion hopefuls Salford.

Drawing almost 40 per cent of their fixtures may have prevented Crewe from mounting a top half-of-the-table challenge but, having returned to Doncaster last weekend and been on the right side of a 2-0 result, Offord is certain progress has been made.