DAVE Artell won't be taking his feet off the pedal in his quest to improve on Crewe's 12th-placed finish.

That was sealed by a late finish from Chris Porter after an entertaining first 45, in which the Alex traded four goals with Salop, was followed by a low-key second half which was nevertheless serenaded from outside Gresty Road by a contingent of supporters desperate to make their voices heard after a year of behind-closed-doors action.

To put the achievement into context it is Crewe's highest placing in the Football League since the 2006 demotion from the Championship – even the outfit on a promotion roll under Steve Davis were a place below in 2012/13.

But Artell insisted: "We've got to make sure we improve and go on. With the right mindset we can get even better and that will be the challenge.

"When we took over four-and-a-half years ago this club was hurtling towards non-league. It took us well over 12 months to get things in place and the following season we carried on that work.

"Now we're a top-half League One team, at the minute, but we've got to be a top six League One team and nothing can stop us doing that other than resources. We work hard and we have to be a hard-working club."

Artell made one change from the side winning at Bristol Rovers last weekend with Tom Lowery back in the midfield trio in place of loanee Antony Evans.

It was Harry Pickering's final game before he heads off to Blackburn, and as well as the club skipper several others in the matchday 18 were also making their Crewe finale.

Afterwards the Alex boss revealed all contract decisions have been made with players being spoken to in recent days as preparations are well underway to reshape the squad ahead of August's return.

A whirlwind start produced two good finishes from Mikael Mandron, vying with player-of-the-season Owen Dale for the prestige of finishing off club top scorer.

Salop were architects of their own downfall in both instances, losing possession to allow Charlie Kirk time to pick out a super pass for Mandron, who hit a low drive into the far corner in the 10th minute.

Mandron grabbed his second after Matthew Pennington's clearance ricocheted into his path and he volleyed into the roof of the net (21).

Shrewsbury were also fortunate that when Owen Dale's powerful drive spun out of keeper Harry Burgoyne's hands Pennington was in position to boot the ball off the line.

But, like Crewe, Salop hit back with two goals in a 10-minute spell. First Shaun Whalley curled a superb effort into the top corner after he cut in from the left flank (34).

Then Dan Udoh returned to haunt the Alex, drawing the visitors' level (42) after Ollie Norburn and Whalley combined on the edge of the box.

Crewe lost Donervon Daniels to injury in the 39th-minute, which meant another former club tussle with Omar Beckles brought on at the back in what could be his last outing for the club.

Another heading for the exit, Ryan Wintle, dropped back alongside Beckles in the second half after Olly Lancashire was replaced by young midfielder Josh Lundstram.

The goalmouth action was limited in the second period save a blast from Whalley which flew over and Pennington's glancing header from a corner, which narrowly missed.

Oli Finney made a welcome appearance as an 80th-minute substitute just over three months after breaking a leg in the reverse fixture at the Montgomery Waters Meadow before another of Crewe's out-of-contract set, Porter, rounded off the season with a tap-in when Kirk's near-post effort was pushed onto the post by Burgoyne (81).

Shrewsbury manager Steve Cotterill was a vocal presence throughout in the stand on his third game back after being laid low and hospitalised twice by Covid-19.

His assistant, Aaron Wilbraham, said: "We lost the game with the way we started in the first 30 minutes.

"We looked lethargic and it had a kind of end-of-season feel to it. The boys showed great character to come back into it and we were the stronger team in the second half when we had a couple of chances."

Crewe: Jaaskelainen; Adebisi, Daniels (Beckles), Lancashire (Lundstram), Pickering; Wintle, Lowery (Finney), Ainley (Murphy); Dale, Mandron (Porter), Kirk Subs: Richards, Evans.

Shrewsbury: Burgoyne; Pennington, Ebanks-Landell, Pierre; Davis, Norburn, Vela, Goss (Edwards), Ogbeta (Bloxham); Whalley, Udoh Subs: Bevan, Love, Williams, Walker, Chapman.