Crewe boss highlights 'disgrace' in Wigan Athletic defeat

Lee Evans secured the victory over Crewe with a second-half penalty

Artell acknowledged his side - who haven't scored in their last three matches - had been well-beaten at the DW Stadium.

A first-half fluke from Joe Dodoo and a second-half penalty from Lee Evans deservedly gave Latics the points.

But the Crewe chief was far from happy with the officials' role - as well as his own attacking players - in proceedings.

"We didn't do well enough, and our decision-making was poor in the first half," he said.

"We were better in the second half and even better when we went down to 10 men.

"They scored a goal you see maybe once a season, it's a fluke.

"And we could have had a penalty ourselves, it's a stonewall one at the end.

"Would it have affected the result? I don't know.

"But everything that could have gone wrong for us, did go wrong for us today.

"I'm a big believer that you make your own luck, and we didn't do enough in the game to earn any.

"Goals win games, and I said to our front three at the end: 'How many shots did you have?'

"They had two between them...and it's just not enough.

"As much as you want to be a good footballer across the rest of the pitch, they get paid to score goals, and they're not scoring goals.

"Don't get me wrong, we could have got the ball to them a lot more.

"But when it does get there, we have to be more clinical."

Crewe's cause wasn't helped when Omar Beckles was given a straight red card for hauling down Callum Lang for the game-clinching spot-kick with 20 minutes to go.

But Artell was again left to bemoan the official's decision.

"The referee said he made no attempt to play the ball," he added. "But that's because he was trying to get out of the way.

"The fact Joe Dodoo absolutely two-foots Will Jaaskelainen on the floor, and doesn't even get booked, is a disgrace.

"But I don't want to make this about the referee. If that's how he feels, that's how he feels."

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