- Reds undone by Orient goals in either half
- Full debuts for Finnigan and Robertson
- Second defeat of 2023 for The Railwaymen
League leaders Leyton Orient emerged with all three points from Mornflake Stadium on Tuesday.
Goals from Ed Turns and Theo Archibald strengthened their claim for the League Two title.
Elliott Nevitt brought a smart save from the Orient keeper in the first half, and hit the post after the restart, but Crewe drew a blank.
Now they must regroup and prepare for the important trip to Crawley Town at the weekend (Saturday, 3pm).
Lee Bell made five changes to the side that lost to Grimsby, with loan duo Ryan Finnigan and Sean Robertson making their full debuts for the club.
Finnigan was part of a completely new three-man midfield, alongside Tariq Uwakwe and Charlie Colkett.
Fit-again Rod McDonald was restored to defence alongside Robertson. Callum Ainley, Conor Thomas, Regan Griffiths and Connor O’Riordan dropped to the bench, while Billy Sass-Davies was not involved.
Orient made two changes from their win at the weekend, with Craig Clay and Tom James coming in for Jordan Lyden and Rob Hunt. Captain Darren Pratley returned to the bench.
After a scrappy and even first 20 minutes, the visitors started to grow stronger. Archibald curled wide before, on 28 minutes, Charlie Kelman beat keeper Dave Richards to a through ball but McDonald was able to hook clear in front of an open goal.
It was 1-0 on 31 minutes when the Alex failed to clear a corner and Turns was able to get a shot away in a crowded area and beat Richards from 10 yards.
Penalty appeals for handball were waved away by the referee after a corner at the other end, and Elliott Nevitt saw a super dipping volley parried to safety by Orient keeper Lawrence Vigouroux.
Dan Agyei fizzed a cross-shot just wide of the target in the dying seconds, and just one goal separated the sides at the break.
Nevitt hit the outside of the post with a powerful drive immediately after the restart, and the Alex were on the front foot.
But just before the hour mark it was 2-0 when Archibald arrived on the end of a cross from the left and finished clinically.
Tom James fired a direct free-kick into the Crewe wall as the visitors looked to put the game to bed.
As the game entered its final 10 minutes an Agyei mazy run earned a corner, but it was easily handled by the Orient keeper.
Crewe (4-3-3): Richards; Adebisi (Ainley, 84), Offord, McDonald, Robertson; Finnigan, Colkett (Brook 67), Uwakwe; Agyei, Amoo (Sambou, 45), Nevitt.
Subs not used: Beadle, Thomas, Griffiths, O’Riordan.
Booked: Nevitt.
Orient (4-2-3-1): Vigouroux; James, Turns, Beckles, Sweeney; Clay, El Mizouni; Archibald, Moncur (Pratley, 73), Sadlier (Sotiriou, 84); Kelman (Drinan, 69).
Subs not used: Ogie, Thompson, Lyden, Bryne.
Booked: None.
Referee: S Allison.
Attendance: 3,462.