Crewe manager Lee Bell was “furious” with his side’s first-half display as they fell to a 3-1 defeat against fellow promotion-chasers MK Dons.
Despite an early equaliser from Elliot Nevitt, Matt Dennis’s second goal and a Stephen Wearne strike saw the hosts soar to fourth in the table.
Bell reflected on a dismal first-half showing from his side, noting how they did not come together like they have all season when it mattered.
“The start of the game was a mess in terms of what we were after,” he said. “We didn’t look anything like what we’d gone through with the players.
“The second goal, I’m furious at. It’s the first time this season where it’s not looked like what we spoke to them about.
“That infuriated me as the game could have been six-all.”
Bell believes his team needs to be more “ruthless” as they try to take what they have learnt in training into matches.
“We’ve got to be much more clinical and ruthless in that final third,” Bell added.
“The response we got in the second half looked more like us, and we’ve got to carry that forward.
“I thought we tried to be positive throughout the game and delivering the messages we’ve given, but the players didn’t quite do that for periods of the first half and that’s cost us.”
MK Dons head coach Mike Williamson believed the game was much more “open in nature” than Bell’s initial reaction.
“It will be interesting to look back on the opportunities,” he added.
“It’s difficult when you play a team like that who are incredibly hard-working and there isn’t really a weak area to their game.
“They can play through the thirds, they can go long, they’re strong in transition, they almost had a few chances from set-pieces as well.
“We just try and create as many as we can for us.”
The Dons moved fourth in the table, level on points with Wrexham and Stockport and setting up a fierce promotion battle with the Hatters next week.
“I think it’s the mindset that for us now, the whole debrief was just about the next game,” Williamson said.
“Every action has got to stack in focus and desire. We know how big the next game is.
“It’s really pleasing to get the result today but more pleasing to get the performance.”
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