• Winning run comes to an end
• Rowe and Nevitt on target
• Railwaymen drop to fifth

Crewe Alexandra’s winning run came to an end at the hands of Salford City.

In a fiercely-contested game, Aaron Rowe cancelled out Matt Smith’s opener and Elliott Nevitt’s 12^th of the season made it 2-1 at the break.

But Smith completed his hat-trick with two close-range finishes after the restart, and hopes of a fifth-straight success were extinguished.

It will come as a disappointment to Lee Bell and his men but City’s performance belied their league position, and Crewe should take heart from a super start to 2024.

They will go again at Tranmere Rovers next weekend.

Manager Bell made just one change to the side that won at Barrow last time out.

The departure of Connor O’Riordan to Blackburn paved the way for loan man Josh Austerfield to make his full debut in midfield, with skipper Luke Offord dropping back into defence.

For Salford, who came into the game three unbeaten, ex-Alex academy player Matt Lund was amongst the subs and the starting 11 was unchanged.

The visitors hit the front on four minutes when Luke Bolton stood up a perfect cross for the giant Smith to attack and he found the top corner.

Shilow Tracey saw a shot blocked as the Alex tried to respond, while keeper Tom Booth got down nicely to save a Smith side-footer at the other end.

It was a scrappy, attritional half for the most part with the visitors working hard to restrict the football the hosts wanted to play.

But out of the blue, on 44 minutes, Rowe picked up the ball fully 30 yards out and took a touch before drilling a powerful low strike in off the post.

And there was time for more drama before the whistle. Lewis Billington’s deep cross was inviting and Nevitt’s timing impeccable, and he rose to power a header home.

Smith flicked Salford level from a corner on 55 minutes, soon after they saw penalty appeals waved away in a period of pressure.

Tracey strode forward and fizzed a strike inches wide, and Nevitt brought a decent save from keeper Alex Cairns at his near post.

Courtney Baker-Richardson whipped a strike just over, while Mickey Demetriou made a super block from Kelly M’Nai as both sides looked for a clincher.

On 85 minutes, Salford got the winner. Some neat build-up coming in from the right caused problems, and when the Alex failed to clear, Smith was on hand to turn in from close range.

Ryan Cooney had a half-chance to level at the death but his dipping volley from 20 yards was too high.

Crewe (3-2-3-1): Booth; Billington (Cooney, 63), Offord, Demetriou, Adebisi; Thomas, Austerfield (Leigh, 88); Tracey, Rowe (Holicek, 80), Long (Baker-Richardson, 62); Nevitt.

Subs not used: Davies, Colkett.

Booked: Rowe.

Salford (4-3-3): Cairns; John (N’Mai, 46), Vassell, Tilt, Garbutt, Watson (Lund, 74), Watt, Luamba (Shephard, 46); Bolton, Smith, McAleny (Hendry, 74).

Subs not used: Torrance, Mariappa, McLennan.

Booked: John, Garbutt, Lund, Hendry.

Referee: S Parkinson.

Attendance: 4,938 (289).