Tootle sets wins target for Crewe to reach play-offs

Tootle has started 29 games for Crewe in League Two this season

Crewe need to win at least eight of their last 14 games to reach the play-offs, defender Matt Tootle believes.

The Alex are 13th in League Two after six matches without a victory.

Tootle told BBC Radio Stoke: "It's very tight and all the teams down to about 15th could have a run and get to the play-offs like Morecambe did last year.

"That is what we are aiming for. In the last 14 games we probably need to win eight, nine or 10 of them to really push on and challenge."

Crewe began February in the automatic promotion places, but picked up just one point from six games in a disastrous month and currently lie seven points behind seventh-placed Gillingham.

"There's a lot of confidence in the camp," continued the 20-year-old full-back. "Obviously it's not as high as it was, but our confidence isn't shot.

"We still believe that result will come, but we just need to stop conceding goals. There's a ridiculous amount of goals going in."

According to Tootle, three games in the space of a week, starting with a home match against Burton on Saturday, will go a long way to determining whether Crewe will be involved in the race for promotion at the end of the season.

"It's a big week and it's not impossible for us to win all three," said Tootle. "All of a sudden we're right back in the mix.

"We need to pick up at least seven points from these next three games and, more importantly, stop conceding goals."

Crewe travel to Macclesfield on Tuesday evening, before a home game against the League Two leaders Chesterfield on 12 March.