Crewe picked up their fourth win in five as stunning goals from Dean Ashton and Luke Varney tamed Millwall.
Dennis Wise's Lions had a distinctive lack of roar about them as they failed to respond to sought-after Ashton's superb strike after just 12 seconds.
Although substitute Paul Ifill injected some life into the visitors and levelled with an equally cracking effort in the 71st minute, Crewe deserved their win courtesy of their own substitute Varney's second goal of his senior career five minutes later.
Crewe scored directly from the kick-off when Ashton was played in on the inside right channel and he cut in and let fly with a left-footer from 25 yards which flew past keeper Graham Stack's outstretched arm.
It was the 15th goal of the season for the 21-year-old who is believed to be attracting interest from Everton ahead of the January transfer window.
The home side could have had a second in the eighth minute when the nervous Stack misjudged the flight of Kenny Lunt's cross and the ball bounced up on to his crossbar.
Crewe were on top for most of the first period although Barry Hayles came close to an equaliser nine minutes before half-time when he glanced Jo Tessem's cross inches past the post.
But it was Crewe who finished the half the strongest when Steve Jones ran through on goal with only Stack to beat, but the forward failed to get the ball under control and the visiting keeper managed to force him down a blind alley.
After the break the play became scrappy neither side could convert their approach play into anything inside the box.
But Ifill, who had just come on before the interval was unlucky to see Mark Rivers hacking his goalbound effort off the line in the 50th minute.
The winger made absolutely certain with less than 20 minutes to go when he turned on Neil Harris' lay-off and unleashed a screaming 25-yard drive into the top left-hand corner for the equaliser.
But the Londoners' hopes of improving their poor away record were soon quashed when Jon Otsemobor launched a long ball forward from the right-back position.
Varney managed to outmuscle Matt Lawrence on the edge of the box. The youngster then cut inside on to his right foot and bent the ball skilfully across Stack and into the far corner for the winner.