DAVE Artell is convinced Crewe will give someone a battering sooner rather than later.

But while his side fail to make the most of dominant attacking displays and continue to let opponents off the hook, just like Plymouth were allowed to rescue a tense finish from the jaws of an absolute bashing, then the Crewe boss' wait for a goal feast goes on.

The Alex seemed set for a plain sail after super first-half strikes from Charlie Kirk and Owen Dale had charted the course to victory.

On his return to Gresty Road Ryan Lowe's armada were in retreat, not helped by an overly defensive set-up with two banks of four deep in their own half for the entire first 45.

Afterwards Lowe slammed some of his players for failing to follow the game plan and five second-half changes did make a difference for the visitors, while Artell's options from the bench were limited.

Nevertheless, at the points when Ryan Wintle scuffed a shot wide and Kirk over elaborated when well placed in the box on several occasions Crewe should have been home and hosed. But a potential 3-0 or 4-0 scoreline turned into a narrow one-goal advantage after Argyle sub Luke Jephcott cut the defecit leaving five minutes and three more of added time to perspire through.

But while Artell knew the margin of the victory should have been greater a third win in four at the home fortress is in stark contrast to the fortunes of fellow promotees who have lost their last six games, leaving Lowe with much to sort out.

"We keep getting better and that is the plan. All the players want to get better and I think we are a better team than the one that lost against Lincoln and Charlton at the beginning of the season," declared Artell.

"We are heading in the right direction. We were a bit short on the bench and Plymouth had five who came on and gave them more energy, although they had to resort to long balls to get them back into it.

"Although their goal changed the game the best team won. Before then they'd not really threatened, apart from a shot from distance.

"Owen Dale has now scored four in four games and I think Kelland Watts (Plymouth's left-back) has probably had to go to hospital to have his blood checked out after the game he gave him."

Crewe set the tone for a dominant first-half show when Oli Finney's early volley was superbly turned around by Argyle keeper Mike Cooper.

A real touch of class from Tommy Lowery edged them ahead (22) with the midfielder clipping a delightful ball to the far post into the feet of Charlie Kirk, who finished with aplomb.

Dale's tormenting of Watts came to a boil with a driving run, twisting and turning the full-back before firing home a deflected shot (43).

After the break Wintle was left to rue his finishing inside the box before Ryan Hardie and Jephcott offered much more of a threat than Frank Nouble had managed as a lone striker in the first half.

Jephcott cut the arrears when he pounced on a loose ball and turned to bury an effort in the bottom corner.

But while that set up a tense finish, the drama was kept to a minimum and it would have been a travesty had Argyle left with a share of the spoils.

Lowe didn't mince his words afterwards and said he will be targeting his underperformers.

"I'm a caring man towards my group and I don't believe in slagging off players or hanging them out to dry, but they are playing for Plymouth Argyle and have got to know what that means because there are a select few who are letting us down at the moment," he said.

"There's 14 out of contract at the end of the season and I know what I would be doing now if I was. There were some positives to take from the last 25 to 30 minutes, but the first half was not acceptable.

"Crewe are a good team but the players didn't do what I asked."

Crewe: Jaaskelainen; Offord, Beckles, Lancashire, Pickering; Wintle, Lowery, Finney; Dale (Powell), Mandron (Porter), Kirk. Subs: Booth, Nolan, Adebisi, Sass-Davies, Johnson.

Plymouth: Mike Cooper; Canavan, Aimson, Wootton, Watts (Jephcott); Moore (Edwards), Camara, Fornah (MacLeod), Mayor (Grant); George Cooper; Nouble (Hardie). Subs: McCormick, Opoku.