DAVE Artell admitted Crewe got "what they deserved" after lame finishing allowed out-of-form Gillingham to profit at Gresty Road.

Crewe's second home defeat of the season was a painful lesson in not taking your chances. There were enough to have won two games, but they went begging before old adversary John Akinde came off the bench and made one of the Gills' very few sights of Will Jaaskelainen's goal count.

Daniel Powell, the only change from the side starting the weekend's defeat at Ipswich, was the chief culprit in the first half.

Presented with a one-v-one he whacked the outside of the post, while the tame header he skied over Joe Lumley's bar was embarrassing.

Charlie Kirk should have put Tommy Lowery's cross away early in the game and Mikael Mandron also failed to take advantage of a couple of juicy offerings, although he was perhaps a tad unfortunate when prodding Harry Pickering's delivery onto the near post soon after the break.

It was soon to catch up with Crewe. Akinde had been on for only three minutes when Jordan Graham hung the ball up from the left and the striker's header had enough power to beat Jaaskelainen (58), even though the Alex keeper got his hands to the ball.

Gillingham were workmanlike and direct with former Crewe frontman Vadaine Oliver working tirelessly, but to no avail in front of goal.

Akinde's arrival firmed up a rearguard action from the front and for the final half an hour, save one effort from sub Owen Dale which impressive QPR loan keeper Lumley beat out, Crewe struggled to make inroads.

Their first-half whirlwind had blown out and a harsh lesson needs to be learnt that in League One they just simply cannot afford to let chances go begging.

Boss Artell said: "We didn't deserve to win, we deserved to lose. We've been punished for the slightest error, but we didn't do enough to win the game while on Saturday at Ipswich we did do enough to win the game.

"For all the play around their box there weren't enough shots. In the first half the game should have been over. That's poor play, that's not poor luck and that's not relying on the opposition players too play well.

"We've had three or four unbelievable chances, but you have got to score."

Like Crewe, Gillingham have endured some tough recent fixtures and the win was their first in six games.

Boss Steve Evans said: "We had a real shape and discipline and we got to grips with Crewe who are a brilliant team. They'll do really well, but we had them resorting to putting balls into the box from long, high and wide.

"But it's showing how difficult it is with no fans in the ground. When I have been here in Crewe in the past the home fans have got really behind them and they might have sucked a couple in for them tonight – but we are missing that too."

Crewe: Jaaskelainen; Ng, Offord, Beckles, Pickering; Wintle, Lowery (Zanzala), Ainley (Finney); Powell (Dale), Mandron, Kirk. Subs: Richards, Sass-Davies, Murphy, Porter

Gillingham: Lumley; Jackson, Tucker, Ogilvie, Medley; Dempsey, McKenzie, O'Connor (Willock), Coyle (Akinde); Oliver (Samuel), Graham. Subs: Walsh, Woods, Maghoma, Drysdale.