Gradi said Ashley Westwood's penalty miss was the turning point at Sixfields

Crewe manager Dario Gradi has praised his team for the way they kept their discipline during their 6-2 defeat at Northampton at Sixfields on Tuesday.

The Alex conceded six goals in a League match for the first time since losing 6-1 at Cardiff City in October 2005.

Gradi told BBC Radio Stoke: "In a funny way I was actually pleased with them.

"Everything that went wrong could have gone wrong but the players kept great discipline. They didn't lose their heads or start doing stupid things."

Ashley Westwood missed the chance to equalise from the penalty spot just before the interval and Gradi said that was the turning point of the match.

It seemed to be a night where people were making mistakes and it seemed every time we made a mistake we got punished for it Dario Gradi

"Why he changed his mind from what we practised I don't know," said the 69-year-old. "If the goalkeeper had saved it when he'd been doing the right thing that would have been something else.

"But it seemed to be a night where people were making mistakes and it seemed every time we made a mistake we got punished for it."

The defeat, which leaves Crewe seventh in League Two, proved to be even more costly as striker Shaun Miller suffered a thigh strain that will rule him out of the trip to Rotherham on Saturday.

The Alex are already without top-scorer Clayton Donaldson for a further two matches following his red card for violent conduct in the victory against Bradford on 25 January.

AJ Leitch-Smith and substitute Antoni Sarcevic scored at Sixfields and could be paired together at the Don Valley Stadium.

Sarcevic netted for the first time since his summer move from non-league Woodley Sports.

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