Davis happy to be back-to-basics

Crewe boss Steve Davis praised his team for going back to basics after they earned a 1-1 draw at Oldham.

The Alex have still managed only one league win this season, but at Boundary Park they produced a solid all-round display that was capped by Oliver Turton's first senior goal. Turton, a 20-year-old academy product, gave Crewe a first-half lead, only for Oldham's Charlie MacDonald to deny them victory. Davis was pleased with the fighting spirit shown by his players - and by their response to last week's 3-0 home defeat against Walsall. Davis said: "You always look to take all three points when confidence has been lacking, but I'm proud of the boys. "Oldham have been performing well without getting the results, so I have to be happy with a draw. "We need to get the foundations in place and I've said before that we need to get back to basics, closing down, harassing and chasing. "We dropped off for periods of the game, but the boys gave it a good go. This is a result we can build on. "We played some really good football at times and the understanding between our wingers and strikers was very good. "At times, especially in the second half, we didn't do enough in the final third to go on and score a second goal, but neither did Oldham. "The lads who came into the side did a commendable job and anybody watching the game could see that we had a togetherness and a team spirit. "Away points will help us to climb the league, so we will take this result, stick together and keep fighting. "We are doing our best to turn things around and it was clear that they were playing for each other. "We need to work on hurting teams over a whole game, rather than in spells, but it was a very young team out there and they did well." Oldham's James Dayton forced a save from Steve Phillips - making the 600th appearance of his career - but Crewe grabbed the lead after 13 minutes when Turton took aim from just outside the box and saw his low drive spear home. The visitors almost made it a quickfire double, with Oxley tipping away Max Clayton's deflected effort before Byron Moore headed the rebound inches over. Oldham also went desperately close after 18 minutes as Sidney Schmeltz crossed from the right and MacDonald slammed his eight-yard shot against the post. Phillips rescued Crewe in the 35th minute, saving with his legs after Adam Rooney burst on to Dayton's through-ball. But Oldham pulled level nine minutes after the break as Dayton hooked a pass over the Alex defence and MacDonald converted with a stretching six-yard volley.