Davis: We’ll be ready for derby

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The Alex learned their first derby encounter of the season would come during the opening round of fixtures as Rob Page’s Vale head to Gresty Road bidding to avenge the two defeats they suffered at the hands of Davis’ side last term.

Davis is confident Crewe will be free from any early-season rust when the two rivals do battle again on August 8.

“It’s an interesting start,” the Railwaymen’s boss told the Sentinel.

“The Vale fixture is always one that you look for and we didn’t have to look too far this year.

“I think being at home it’s a great first game for the fans and they will be wanting us to get off to a good start.

“The players will be right up for that game, they certainly were last season as we were able to do the double over them.

“But this is a different season, a different group of players and the situation is different as we have got them in the first game.

“Hopefully it will be a full house and there will be a good size crowd as the first game always is.

“We showed last season that we can go and win these games and have enough characters in the team to do that. But both teams will be different, they will be trying to bring in new players and we are the same but it will be an exciting start.

“There will always be that build-up for the game but we will approach it as we do any first game of the season but there will be that little bit of something.”

Crewe managed to stay afloat on the final day of the League One campaign last term despite a dismal start to the season which saw them lose nine of the opening 11 fixtures.

With fixtures against Scunthorpe, Coventry, Bury and Wigan to follow after their Vale showdown, Davis is keen to avoid another sluggish start.

“We are not renowned for getting off to the best of starts over the years, we have never been right up there at the start to build that confidence and always been try to catch up which is always difficult,” he added.

“It is just imperative that we try and get off to a good start and try and get some points early on.”