CREWE Alexandra’s dressing room has been left “devastated” by the club’s relegation to League Two.

The Alex had to win at Port Vale on Saturday to ensure their League One status stayed intact for another week, but a 3-0 defeat at Vale Park sealed their fate with five games of the season remaining.

Goalkeeper Ben Garratt, the club’s reigning Player of the Season, described how the reality of the situation has hit home.

“All the players are devastated about what has happened,” he said.

“It is a horrible feeling and one I certainly do not want to feel again.

“It hit me at the final whistle (at Port Vale) that we could be relegated and when it was confirmed the dressing room was extremely quiet. It was not a nice place to be but we cannot dwell too much on it.”

The defeat on Saturday was their sixth in succession, with their last win coming against Rochdale on February 6.

The homegrown keeper says the team must look at ways to improve in their remaining games in League One to give themselves the best chance of bouncing straight back.

“We will reflect on it I’m sure and look to improve but we have to try and move forward as a team and as a club,” he said.

“That will only happen through hard work and our aim is to get some results in the last five games and take that into next season.

“We want to give a real go to get back up at the first attempt and that is what we will all be striving to do.”

Garratt has stressed to the club’s fans that the team are “hurting” just as much as they are and that everyone in the dressing room wants what is best for the club.

“We have to accept that we have been relegated and start to put a smile back on the faces of the supporters,” he said.

“They have been really good with us and have continued to support us. We wanted to really do it for them but this time, unfortunately we haven’t managed it.

“I can assure the fans that everyone at the club is hurting as much as they are, we feel the pain of the fans because everyone here wants to do the best they can for the club.

“It might make us stronger as players in the long run to go through an experience like this but it doesn’t feel like it at the moment. We are all hugely disappointed with the way the season has gone.”

Alex face two home games in the next week, with Scunthorpe visiting Gresty Road on Saturday before fellow strugglers Colchester come to town on Tuesday.

The club will also be hosting a fan’s forum with board members and management on Thursday, April 28 in the Carlsberg Lounge at Gresty Road.

Fans are welcome on a first come first served basis, with tickets being sold by the club priced £1.