Crewe's play-off tilt will go 'to the wire' - Bell
Lee Bell has won 47 and lost 41 of his 127 games in charge of Crewe
- Published
Crewe Alexandra boss Lee Bell says the race for promotion in League Two "is going down to the wire" this season after his side crept back inside the play-off places.
The Alex's hard-fought goalless draw at Gillingham with 10 men on Saturday earned them a point which took them back into seventh spot in the table.
It leaves them one point ahead of Salford City, who have a game in hand on the Railwaymen, with seven points separating eight teams from AFC Wimbledon in second down to Grimsby Town in ninth, showcasing how competitive the division is.
"We saw a battling performance, we've gone down to 10 men again which is unacceptable and could've cost us the game," Bell told BBC Radio Stoke.
For the second game in a row, Bell saw a Crewe player sent off as Ryan Cooney's 75th-minute dismissal against the Gills followed Jamie Knight-Lebel's straight red card in the defeat by AFC Wimbledon four days earlier.
"We've got to cut that out," Bell said, before adding that Crewe chairman Charles Grant had "been on to me a little bit about it".
"It costs players their spot in the team and it might cost them in the long run."
With 14 games to play, Crewe remain in decent shape to seal a play-off place for the second season in a row.
After coming so close to promotion last term when they were beaten in the play-off final by Crawley Town at Wembley, the Alex boss is revelling in another shot at going up to League One.
"You've got to love it," Bell said.
"That's in my mind. You've got to enjoy this and I hope the players and the fans are. What we've been able to achieve in the last two seasons - the expectations of the fans and the town, everything has gone up.
"Thee last three performances, 11 verses 11, have been very good. We've just got to add that killer instinct a bit further up the pitch.
"Draws aren't ideal but this league is going down to the wire. We'll have a really good go at it and what will be will be."