SOME moments of sublime skill from man-of-the-match Callum Ainley and Charlie Kirk soothed Dave Artell's Covid-19 headaches.

The Crewe boss admitted the past week had been the toughest week of his managerial career with four players forced into self-isolation and last weekend's trip to Oxford falling by the wayside at the 11th hour.

But a powerful attacking showing by a side growing into League One life was the perfect tonic during these troubling times for lower league football hit by uncertainties over future income streams and left to navigate a mass of protocols to keep training grounds safe and games on.

"They don't teach you that on these courses but we just want to play football without taking risks with anyone's health and that will be the case going forward, as it was last week," said Artell, who included Omar Beckles on the bench, while Ryan Wintle was also out of self-isolation to start in midfield.

Both players produced positive tests last week, while for today's visit of Wigan, also affected by positive tests, Owen Dale and Oli Finney were left out of the starting XI.

That meant a first start of the season for Ainley, who seized his opportunity, setting up the opener for Luke Offord with a fine delivery and then offering some unique skill to play himself in on goal in the build up to Mikael Mandron's third.

Kirk's swashbuckling afternoon almost started off in embarrassing fashion after he hooked a clearance under pressure towards his own goal, but Dave Richards, starting as Will Jaaskelainen was on Finland under-21 duty, saved his blushes with a tip-over.

But soon Kirk was orchestrating Crewe's incisive play around the box, which was too much for the Latics, whose boss John Sheridan said he would have had no complaints had the margin of defeat been heavier.

Kirk's keepie uppies in the face of his marker heralded a fine defence-splitting pass to set up Harry Pickering who drove Crewe's second into the far corner (40) after Offord headed home his first senior goal (27).

Wigan keeper Jamie Jones kept Crewe at bay with an outstanding double save to thwart Perry Ng and Donervon Daniels, whose pulled hamstring attempting the rebound meant an early introduction for Beckles.

James also denied Daniel Powell at point-blank range and even kept out Ainley's shot and Powell's far-post follow-up before Mandron, guilty of a couple of poor misses, finished off from close range for the third (59).

Artell noted: "The delivery for the first meant he (Offord) he couldn't miss, then Charlie's skill for the second was outrageous as was Callum's bit for the third.

"We like individual players. You hear on these courses of maverick players and how you handle them. You keep telling them 'well done'. If you have some players who try outrageous bits of skill, they might wind you up eight times out of 10 but on two occasions they might create or score a goal.

"Callum was man of the match, he was excellent."

The manager added: "If we become more ruthless in the box then someone is going to get a tonking.

"We've worked hard with the players and they have got better in every game they have played this season and that gives us great hope that they are finding their feet at this level."

Wigan boss Sheridan acknowledged Crewe had dictated the game, but lamented: "I expect a lot better from us with what we've got in the team.

"But Crewe were sharper, they were better on the ball and they had more options when they had the ball. They defended quicker and stronger than we did.

"We stood off them too much, we allowed them to pass the ball and they caused us too many problems – it probably should have been more than 3-0 but Jamie Jones made some excellent saves."

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

Wigan: Jones; James, Johnson, Naismith, Pearce; Evans, Merrie (Gardner), Perry (Crankshaw), Solomon-Otabor; Massey, Keane (Jolley). Subs: Owen Evans, Obi, Baningime, Joseph.