Crewe Alexandra boss David Artell was delighted with his side this weekend.

With just one win in eight, he could have been forgiven for facing promotion-chasing Lincoln with ten men behind the ball, especially after shipping two injury time goals to lose 2-1 against Exeter in midweek.

Indeed, his side did struggle at first, going 1-0 down to a Michael Bostwick header. They didn't crumble and fold though, instead they rallied and fought their way back into the game. They drew level before half time before a ruthless display saw them add three more after half time, gaining revenge for the 4-1 defeat Lincoln inflicted on them at Gresty Road.

Speaking to his club's own website, Artell said: “We went one down and there was no panic. There was no, oh here we go again, scenario. It was like, alright then, back to basics let’s get this done. We equalise, that’s fine, then second half we just became that effective team and delivered that know-how of what to do. Boom, thanks very much. We go 2-1 up and there was no panic, or survival mode that we’ve slipped into before."

After Harry Pickering's wonderful free kick drew things level, a Paul Green penalty sandwiched between two Jordan Bowery goals gave them their heaviest away win of the season. Bowery's father, Bert, played on loan at Lincoln in the 1970's and his son's ruthless finishing ensured there was a happy family return.

The Lincoln match ended a run of four matches against promotion hopefuls and six points from 12 will be seen as a decent haul by the long-suffering Crewe fans. With plenty of controversy surrounding the club at present, it will be comforting for football to a positive aspect for the players to focus on.

The Verdict

As good as Crewe were, Lincoln were terrible on Saturday with no cohesion or fluidity whatsoever.

The win is likely to ensure the Railwaymen build the momentum needed to move away from the foot of the table and give David Artell a platform to build on going into next season.

Crewe is currently a big club with a good fan base around it and the need for something positive to drive them is a large as ever.