Walley was the star of the show netting a hat-trick, with Lewis Reilly adding the fourth to secure a victory that looked comfortable until United’s two-late goals.

Walley’s first strike came on 15 minutes from close range, stabbing home from a melee inside the box following a corner. He added his second 15 minutes later, using his strength to hold off a defender before emphatically rifling into the roof of the net from just inside the box.

The Blades reduced the deficit on the stroke of half-time, but Walley made it 3-1 with his hat-trick goal on 61 minutes when he tapped home from close-range from a pass across the face of goal.

Five minutes later, Reilly headed in for number four and it looked like job done before Sheffield fought back with goals on 85 & 86 minutes to set-up a tense finale – but The Alex held on.

Crewe: Wardley, Manuel, Wilkinson, Sass-Davies, Johnson, Lynch, Lundstram, Griffiths, Hurst, Reilly, Walley