Crewe 3 (Miller 30, 37, Leitch-Smith 65), Oxford Utd 1 (Davis 77) Oxford United suffered a nightmare defeat at Crewe today.

Chris Wilder's side conceded twice in seven first-half minutes, and then against the run of play, a killer third goal 25 minutes from time.

Although Liam Davis headed home with 13 minutes remaining, United could not find a way back into the game.

The irony is that Oxford had far more possession than their opponents, but without James Constable, who was injured, lacked a cutting edge in the final third.

On a different day Alfie Potter could have had three or four goals, but that should not hide the fact that the U's will travel home on the back of a heavy defeat.

Crewe only managed five shots in target in the entire game - two in the second half - but in Shaun Miller, had a striker with an eye for a goal.

Miller's quickfire first-half double put Crewe in total control at half-time.

But Oxford flew out of the blocks in the second, and it was the first time that the home side had got out of their half on 65 minutes that they scored when Ajay Leitch-Smith broke United's offside trap to seemingly make the game safe.

However, Davis gave Oxford hope, and then hit the inside of a post as the U's tried to rescue the situation.

But they couldn't.

Crewe Alex: Phillips, Davis, Artell, Dugdale, Martin (Tootle 80), Murphy, Bell, Westwood, Shelley (Mellor 88), Leitch-Smith (Hughes 75), Miller. Subs: Connerton, Martin. Booked: Davis.

Oxford Utd: Clarke, Whing (Batt 62), Duberry, Wright, Davis, Heslop (Payne 71), McLaren Hall, Potter, Smalley, Guy (Pittman 74). Subs: Worley. Brown. Booked: Hall, Guy.

Attendance: 3,680 (518 Oxford).