Brad Inman struck five minutes before half-time, racing onto Ryan Wintle’s through ball before composing himself and slotting past the keeper.

The Tigers drew level on the hour mark after a dangerous cross bounced off the head of an unfortunate Alex defender and into the top corner.

Just four minutes later, and Crewe were reduced to ten men. An off the ball altercation, in which George Cooper was alleged to have kicked out at a Hull man, saw the referee brandish a straight red card to the winger.

But just four minutes later, on the 68 minute mark, Crewe restored their advantage, Joe Howell volleying in Charlie Kirk’s deep corner from inside the six-yard-box.

The Alex had to withstand a barrage of late pressure from the visitors, Harrison saving well point blank from Bowen and Tombicley, before Bowen thumped the post with six minutes to go.

James Baillie then superbly cleared off the line in the dying embers as Crewe held on to record victory.

Crewe: Harrison, Baillie, Kearns, Ng, Mullarkey (Kirk, 54), Howell, Inman (Ainley, 60), Atkinson (Lowery, 64), Wintle, Cooper, Saunders