Crewe must be level-headed in play-off bid - Lunt

Crewe Alexandra must stay "level-headed" as they enter the final stages of their push for a play-off place in League Two says the club's head of player development Kenny Lunt.

The Alex are preparing for Saturday's visit of in-form Oldham Athletic, who are one point and one place above them in the table and also harbouring ambitions of a top-seven finish.

Crewe's 4-0 thumping of Shrewsbury Town last weekend took them to within two points of the play-off spots and Lunt said the squad need to back that result up against the Latics.

"It gives them loads of confidence," he told BBC Radio Stoke.

"But you've seen throughout the season, you end up with a good result and then you start off first 15, 20 minutes [of the next game] and then you don't get the same sort of performance.

"I'm sure they'll be fine, they've been buzzing and obviously delighted about the three points and the performance on Saturday."

With seven games to go, Crewe have played one more match than Grimsby Town, currently in the final play-off place, but Lunt said all they can do is keep on trying to grind results out.

"We go in believing that we're going to win the game," he said.

"We try to win the game. We don't ever go in to try to draw. It doesn't always obviously happen but we know what works and that's got to where we are.

"We're all trying to keep level-headed. If we win a game, we don't think we're up. If we lose a game, we don't think we're out of it.

"Keep the players positive, no matter what happens. Make them feel like they're as good as they are. Keep reminding them and just keep the confidence going throughout the team. If you have a bad performance reassure them, maybe show them what they can do and what they have done."

Crewe will be without midfielder Conor Thomas for the game against Oldham.

The 32-year-old suffered a muscle injury in the 1-1 draw at Cheltenham on 17 March.