Despite recovering from 2-0 down in the early stages to level at 2-2, Crewe conceded a sloppy goal to end up losing the contest 3-2.

Bolton took an early lead after a loose Crewe pass in their defensive half was picked up by a Trotters attacker & he fed Dennis Politic who powered through to the edge of the box & thumped in a low shot into the corner.

One became two when Matthew Fearnley hit a seemingly feeble effort from the right of the box, that took a huge deflection on an unlucky Alex centre-half & wrong-footed Scott Wardley in the Alex net.

The fight-back started before the break, Luke Walley being felled in the box before picking himself up & coolly chipping his penalty down the centre of the goal for 2-1.

Substitute Hurst levelled the contest in the second period, picking the ball up 20-yards from goal & unleashing a fierce drive that evaded the dive of the Bolton keeper & found the far corner.

But with Crewe in the ascendancy & looking the more likely to win the game, a soft third for the hosts gifted them all three points when a corner kick was floated into the box & evaded Wardley before bouncing into the net off a combination of Bolton attacker & Crewe defender.

It's Sheffield Wednesday next up for Lee Bell's side, with the new U18 manager looking for his first points in charge of the side.

Crewe: Wardley, Johnson, Adao (Walsh), Sass-Davies, Barlow (Hurst), Griffiths, Harrison, Offord, Lynch, Walley, Thompson