Mansfield Town slipped to a first home league defeat of the season as Joe White’s goal after 70 seconds secured a 1-0 win for gutsy Crewe.
From then on in, Stags were ultimately unable to recover as the Alex defended resiliently against an onslaught of home pressure, especially in the second-half.
Four changes were made from the side that superbly beat high-flying Stockport County 2-0 on New Year’s Day.
Midfielders Stephen Quinn and Louis Reed, along with forwards Davis Keillor-Dunn and Lucas Akins, were introduced to the lineup.
Midfielders Aaron Lewis and Ollie Clarke started on the substitutes’ bench while right-back Callum Johnson and forward Rhys Oates were sidelined through injury.
It wasn’t the start Mansfield had in mind and inside the second minute, they failed to clear their lines inside the box, offering Joe White the chance to shoot low into the bottom corner which he gratefully took.
Stags may have been level just two minutes later when Akins nodded wide from 12 yards following McLaughlin’s floated free-kick.
Captain Aden Flint was the first name in the referee’s notebook for a foul on Chris Long 22 yards from goal, but the same man lashed it well wide for the visitors.
Mansfield forced the game’s first corner on 21 minutes after Keillor-Dunn’s shot was blocked before spinning behind. And despite a flurry of subsequent attempts to try and test goalkeeper Tom Booth, Crewe held firm.
Stags were finding it tough to break through the lines, but Jordan Bowery did his best to change Mansfield’s fortunes by sending a dangerous ball towards the goal area, however no one was able to connect.
Keillor-Dunn tried to get a shot away inside the box on 28 minutes but veteran defender Mikey Demetriou blocked the effort.
Stags were dominating the ball and carved out a double opening on 34 minutes.
Keillor-Dunn found Brunt on the right who swung a brilliant ball into Maris, but the midfielder’s shot was directed straight at Booth.
Less than a minute later, Stags created an equally glorious chance which ended with Booth denying Quinn’s 10-yard strike.
Crewe almost found a second goal on 41 minutes as Joe White threaded a fine low pass to the advancing Courtney Baker-Richardson, who rifled into the side netting from the right side of the box.
In stoppage time, Maris lost possession and tripped Long to receive a yellow card in the last action of note in the first-half.
Within two minutes of the restart, Stags’ goalkeeper Christy Pym got a vital touch on Aaron Rowe’s vicious drive to send it onto the post.
On 55 minutes, Maris sent a brilliant cross into the box, but somehow no one could connect and Booth was able to gather inside his goal area.
Stags were pressing but it was the visitors who missed a real chance on 64 minutes when Baker-Richardson missed the target from eight yards after Cooney robbed the ball off McLaughlin near the goal line to square.
On 67 minutes, Stags made a double change as midfielders Aaron Lewis and Ollie Clarke replaced Stephen Quinn and George Maris.
And within four minutes of taking to the field, Clarke arrowed a shot narrowly beyond the right post.
Keillor-Dunn let fly to earn a corner and a few minutes later the same man turned his marker inside the box to shoot at Booth.
On 83, forward Will Swan entered the fray, replacing Stephen McLaughlin.
The Alex were defending for their lives and almost conceded a penalty on 87 minutes when a Crewe defender appeared to handle Flint’s downward header inside the box.
In stoppage time, Stags were still gunning for an equaliser and Clarke teed up Reed, who fired over from 22 yards.
Crewe goalkeeper Booth was needed in the last minute of stoppage time to push over Baily Cargill’s well-struck curling free-kick as the visitors hung on to win.
STAGS: Pym, Bowery, Flint, Cargill, McLaughlin (Swan 83), Reed, Brunt, Quinn (Lewis 67), Maris (Clarke 67), Keillor-Dunn, Akins
UNUSED SUBS: Flinders, Williams, Boateng, Abdullah
CREWE: Booth, Adebisi, Demetriou, Offord, Long (Nevitt 50), Thomas (Cooney 63), Baker-Richardson, O'Riordan, Rowe, Billington, White (Tracey 78).
UNUSED SUBS: Davies, Kempster-Down, Agius, Robinson
REFEREE: Matt Corlett
ATTENDANCE: 7,298 (474 Crewe fans)
