Crewe boss Alex Morris admits goalkeeper Dave Richards “kept the scored down” at times in their 4-1 defeat against Wanderers.

The 28-year-old made a series of fine saves, including close-range stops to deny Amadou Bakayoko and Elias Kachunga either side of half-time.

Bakayoko initially put the Whites in front but Crewe got back on level terms when a cross went in off debutant Eoin Toal.

But a brace from Dion Charles, as well as Kieran Sadlier’s late strike, saw Ian Evatt’s men return to winning ways after a difficult week.

Morris told the club’s YouTube channel: “[Richards] kept the scoreline down, particularly towards the end. He produced some great saves.

“He is back fully fit and that can only be good because Arthur [Okonkwo] now knows he has got somebody breathing down his neck.

“Competition for places is good, wherever on the pitch, and you need two goalkeepers who are going to put each other under pressure in terms of fighting for that first-team place.”

The Crewe chief was pleased with his side’s performance in spells but felt they showed “naivety” after going 2-1 down.

He added: “It was a tough night all round. It was a tough game and we rode our luck up until the point at which we were 1-1, and we did ever so well to get to 1-1 because we weren’t playing our strongest 11.

“We got to the stage midway through the second half where they brought on another five first teamers. By the end their first 11 was their starting 11.

“We had players who haven’t played much football this season out on the pitch together up against a good League One starting 11.

“Once the goal went in to make it 2-1, we lost our shape, lost our discipline and went chasing the game. And it became 3-1 and 4-1 as we saw.

“Sometimes in those scenarios you just have to take your medicine and hope to nick a goal at the end to take it to penalties.

“But that comes with experience and a lot of those players are young. There was a lot of naivety in how we responded when we went 2-1 down.”