CREWE'S season appears stuck on repeat.

Another improved second-half showing wasn't sufficient to prise a point from this afternoon's (Sunday) trip to Portman Road and now the gap to safety has extended to seven points - and potentially more as the Alex have played more games than their basement rivals.

At least Chris Long is also stuck in a groove, a goalscoring one with the striker bagging three in his last three games. Crewe look better up too since his return to fitness, but they will need similar quality all over the pitch if they are going to turn the campaign around.

It was boss Dave Artell's 250th game in charge of the club and he was convinced the visitors deserved something from the game.

But it started badly with Sone Aluko's cross diverting off Luke Offord into the net in the third minute.

Bersant Celina's outstanding chipped effort over Dave Richards from 25 yards out was a blow in first-half stoppage-time.

But Long diverted sub Mikael Mandron's effort home (73) to cut the arrears and a critical home crowd added to the tension Ipswich's players felt in the closing minutes. Mandron shot over and Chris Porter had a late sight of goal and it wouldn't have been a surprise to have seen the Alex level.

"I thought we deserved something from the game," said Artell afterwards. "We created numerous opportunities and the players were magnificent.

"We know that if we keep playing like that we are going to win games of football.

"We've lost the game and we're in the performance industry, but I think the Crewe fans have probably gone away happier than the Ipswich fans - apart from the result.

"If we can cut out those mistakes that resulted in the goals and pass the ball like we did then we will win more games than we lose."

Ipswich boss Paul Cook admitted: "I couldn't watch many more minutes of that - we are just delighted to win."