IT might take time for Dave Richards to turn the statistics around but the keeper's progress on the pitch is making its mark with the people that count at Crewe.

Richards proved his worth again in Tuesday's hard-fought win at Shrewsbury after the Welshman kept out what little Salop offered as a threat. While he was under fire from Gillingham's attack (1-4 defeat) recently, Richards has been consistent enough to win praise from Dave Artell and that will count more than any plaudits for spectacular saves between the sticks.

For the keeper needs more games after assuming an almost permanent role as Crewe's back-up keeper since his arrival at Gresty Road in the summer of 2015.

The Caerphilly-born stopper probably doesn't dwell too long on Soccerbase, and although his appearance record has moved up to the 38 mark thanks to his current run in the side it has the hallmarks of a number of keepers forced to assume a No.2 role.

But Tuesday night was Richards' sixth consecutive start and his promising run looks likely to continue with Will Jaaskelainen having been told that he needs time out from first-team duties.

With the exception of cup duties, which make up more than half his Alex appearances, you have to go back to the first half of the 2017/18 season to find Richards enjoying regular league action.

He has has had strong competition in the shape of Ben Garrett previously and now Jaaskelainen, but now his manager will be more than happy to pencil the number 13 on top of his team sheet, again, at Peterborough tomorrow.

"We spoke to Will (Jaaskelainen) and said you probably need a breather, mentally more than anything else. We've got a good keeper in Trig (Richards) and he's come in and done fine - he's not done much wrong," said Artell of the patient custodian.

"He's got to get used to playing lots of games in a short time, so he's done okay. He's not done anything damaging and I wouldn't say he's done anything blistering either. But he's done his job and that is what you ask for, especially with goalkeepers.

"He is a great bloke who works his socks off in training and is brilliant around the training ground; he winds the strikers up when they miss or when he saves it and that is what you want.

"He has got better, certainly over the last three or four years, that is for sure, and he's deserved his place in the team - hopefully he can get a few more clean sheets."

Artell is still smarting in the aftermath of the Shrewsbury win which was marred by Oli Finney's broken leg which will rule the midfielder out for the rest of the campaign. He hopes his players can take inspiration from their team mate's setback to push on further after the Salop success left them dangling just outside the play-off places on goal difference.

The Peterborough trip is one of four difficult games lying ahead this month, with Portsmouth, Accrington and Sunderland due to visit Cheshire.

The Alex boss added: "The next six weeks will be pivotal but not decisive, unless we win them all or lose them all.

"But we want to be competing against these teams. Peterborough are a good team and I am not sure they did themselves justice when we played against them at home (2-0 win for Crewe in November.)

"But we will certainly given everyone in this league a game and that's the bare minimum I expect.

And he added: "We've got to use it (Finney's injury) as motivation; as one door closes for Oli another opens for someone else. We've got to hope that whoever takes his spot is as effective and as good as Oli."

Despite the gloom over Finney, who was the club's second top scorer until Owen Dale struck Tuesday's winner, Crewe look to be well placed after a positive transfer window.

They have former Everton man Antony Evans to turn to as a potential attacking midfield replacement and while netting over £1million from the sales of Perry Ng and Harry Pickering, the latter remains at the club on loan from Blackburn to play a key role in the run-in.

As does Charlie Kirk after a late bid from a League One side faltered.

While the transfer market for third tier clubs has been levelled by the effects of the pandemic it is still a difficult one for Crewe to be in. But while efforts to sign a striker before Monday night were frustrated, Artell reveals Crewe are prepared to compete for players that would have been out of their reach in League Two days.

"You always want to do more as a manager but sometimes that's not possible because of your lack of resources. We tried to bring in a striker and another club was paying £7,000 a week. We're nowhere near that.

"But it shows how far we've come in four years that we are competing against some big clubs and some not big clubs who have been extremely frivolous," revealed the Alex boss.

"We want to be in that market. We went for a boy who has gone to play with one of the big teams in Turkey, so that shows the calibre of player we are trying to attract. It also shows how difficult it is for us. That is the market we're working and that is what we are trying to do."