ON a day a defender earned the headlines in the transfer window it was fitting that two more men from the backline played their part in an enthralling win.

Olly Lancashire and Omar Beckles may not be saleable assets like Perry Ng that have come through the club's ranks, but their value was evident tonight when grit and determination was needed as much as skill against a Bristol Rovers side who refused to lie down.

In a flurry of set-piece goals soon after the restart, the Pirates were swinging their cutlasses menacingly with goals from Max Ehmer and Luke McCormick cancelling out well-worked efforts from Charlie Kirk and Ryan Wintle in the first half.

But Lancashire's diving far-post header had Crewe back ahead and while his goal was a surprise considering it was his first for more than three years, his defensive work alongside Beckles wasn't.

The pair kept the back four together as injuries took their toll with Luke Offord, filling in Ng's right-back spot, hobbling off in first-half stoppage time, while Harry Pickering departed in the second half.

Artell reckoned the experienced duo's central defensive work was among the best he'd seen, declaring: "I thought Omar and Olly (Lancashire) were outstanding and they are the reason we won that game.

"We had to dig deep, but it is a real big win. The players showed their character and courage. We work on a lot of set pieces and it is pleasing when it comes off like that."

In fact, four of the five goals were from dead balls; the first a quick corner routine that allowed Tommy Lowery to split the Rovers' defence with a clever pass and Charlie Kirk to finish in his stride for the fourth-minute opener.

Kirk then pulled the ball back to Oli Finney who set up Wintle for a deflected second (23). Had Owen Dale not been denied by excellent keeper Joe Day and a goalmouth clearance from Cian Harries, Crewe you felt would have been home and hosed.

But the Gas hadn't played too badly, despite setting up cautiously with Brandon Hanlon alone up front. Hanlon wasted a sight on goal before Wintle struck the second, delaying his shot to allow Luke Offord to snatch the ball off his feet.

Ehmer applied a finish to Luke Leahy's set-piece header to cut Crewe's lead (46) and by the 51st minute McCormick had drawn the visitors level, blasting a 20-yard free kick into the top corner.

But Lancashire chanced his luck at the far post after Lowery lofted over a delicious free kick, with the centre-half flinging himself in determined fashion to net the decisive goal (55).

Dale may have provided a more comfortable finish to the game, but directed a downward header wide from a great position. But Crewe, with young fullbacks Travis Johnson and Rio Adebisi doing sterling work, held on to a win which puts them within a point of the play-offs and extends their unbeaten run to nine games.

Bristol Rovers boss Paul Tisdale said: "Crewe's first goal was fantastic, but at 2-0 down and to comeback the way we did showed great resilience. The end result was frustrating, but it was a hell of a football match played at break-neck speed."

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

Bristol Rovers: Day; Baldwin, Kilgour, Harries (Koiki); Ehmer, Grant, McCormick, Upson (Barrett), Leahy (Rodman); Westbrooke; Hanlon (Ayunga).