Lee Bell felt referee Sunny Singh Gill “spoilt the game” after Crewe missed the chance to move into the League Two play-off places following a 1-1 draw with Salford.
City broke the deadlock in the 12th minute when Ben Woodburn scored his first goal for the club with a cool finish past Filip Marschall after Kylian Kouassi allowed Haji Mnoga’s pass to run through his legs.
However, Crewe deservedly drew level after 26 minutes when Ryan Cooney headed in Zac Williams’ floated cross from the left at the back post to score his first league goal.
The Railwaymen twice went close to winning the game as Salford goalkeeper Jamie Jones produced magnificent finger-tip saves to deny Shilow Tracey and substitute Owen Lunt late on.
However, Crewe boss Bell was left frustrated by a number of decisions made by Gill which he felt disrupted the flow of the game.
Bell said: “He (the referee) wasn’t great was he? I had a conversation with him about some of the things that go on off the ball and he didn’t do anything about it because he lost control of the game which spoils it a little bit.
“We couldn’t believe some the things that were going on for either team. It spoilt the game really.
“It was a messy game, they (Salford) are ever so good at doing that and spoiling how you want to play, we started really well and their goal deflated us a little bit, it was a real scrappy affair.
“The players stood up to absolutely everything, their discipline was key because I’m pretty sure my discipline wouldn’t have been great if I was on that pitch with some of the things that were going against them.
“I’m just pleased with the character the players showed, we did try to play at times and we had an outlet, we’ll take a point and move on.”
Salford remain winless on the road this season and manager Karl Robinson wants his team to improve in the final third.
Robinson said: “I felt we were the better team, I’m challenging the team, ‘have we got that steeliness yet?’ I feel like it’s almost there.
“When we’re on top in games, getting that second goal will make all the difference to us, we just don’t seem to get it at the right time. It’s that final third now, self-confidence, self-belief, I can smell it though, it’s coming.
“The growth of us, the birth of us, our DNA is young, athletic players who want to fight for each other and play with an edge but we’ve got to find a calmness and a better end product.
“We’ve settled on a shape now but we’ve got to make sure we make it a shape other teams can’t compete with.
“I’ve said so many times, you win the next game and that point becomes an outstanding point, it becomes a rubbish one if we don’t.”
