DARIO Gradi has no intention of letting his Railwaymen take their foot off the pedal.

Four wins from their last six games (if only Wanderers could say the same!) have hauled Crewe out of the relegation zone and almost into the mid-table comfort zone.

But Gradi refuses to relax and, after last weekend's 1-0 defeat at Crystal Palace, he has been counselling caution ahead of tomorrow's game at Gresty Road.

"We can still be relegated," he warned. "Just because we have won a few games doesn't mean we are safe yet."

In reality, a seven point lead at this stage of the season means the Alex are going to have to suffer a catastrophe of biblical proportions to get hauled back into the drop zone. But Gradi can be forgiven for being ultra cautious.

Never in their history, which dates back more than a century, had Crewe played at this level of the game until he steered them to promotion in 1997 ... and he's determined to keep them here as long as he can.

That way he can continue to expand his famous Academy and maintain the production of young players on which he has built his reputation.

They know their limitations, however, and had to accept that, for all their commitment to fluent football, they didn't have the midfield strength to cope with Palace.

Biggest win

Wanderers scored one of their biggest wins of the season when they hammered the Alex 4-1 at the Reebok in December - a result that took them to second spot in the division and into a mid-winter run that raised hopes of not only a top two finish but a serious challenge to Fulham's dominance. But they can't expect another easy ride as they go in search of their 12th away win.

Gradi's men have taken some notable scalps at Gresty Road and in Nigerian-born keeper Ade Bankole, they have one of the most outstanding, if a little unorthodox, goalkeepers in the division.

"He's been excellent," Gradi says. "He's got great ability to get in the way of the ball."

However, Bankole's enthusiasm has landed him in hot water. He was reported for "improper goal celebrations" after Mark Rivers scored the only goal of the March 13 victory over Nottingham Forest. He says it was a "religious prayer" and not meant to incite the Forest fans - the FA are deciding whether to charge him!