CREWE were on the end of a Macc attack as their flimsy defending was severely punished by their Cheshire rivals.

Heavy conditions and a revamped side can't be blamed for a desperate show at the back as Macclesfield dished out a festive thumping.

Big striker Ben Wright nudged the Silkmen ahead and Crewe were in serious trouble by the time Paul Bolland and Colin Daniel struck further first-half goals.

Calvin Zola, initially rested on the bench, cut Macc's lead midway through the second half and Crewe looked dangerous in the final half-hour. But substitute Ricky Sappleton put a seal on Macc's stellar show in stoppage time.

Dario Gradi made sweeping changes to the side, which had secured a 2-2 Boxing Day draw with League Two leaders Rochdale.

Out went Zola, Joel Grant, Simon Walton and Mat Mitchel-King and in came Byron Moore, Dan Shelley, Steve Schumacher and Harry Worley.

The Alex caretaker boss had argued the need to rest some weary legs, but despite the fresh blood it was the Macc lads who had all the zip in what turned out to be a painful first-half.

Keith Alexander's side made the perfect start with two goals inside the first 14 minutes, the result of some truly awful defending, and then basked in the wonder of a third brilliantly-struck by former Alex winger Daniel.

First Izak Reid's driven cross from the right wasn't dealt with and fell to Wright at the far post where the striker had the simple task of helping the ball into the corner of the net for the fourth-minute opener.

Crewe were then caught square as Ross Draper slipped a ball through the middle for Bolland to run on and tuck under Steve Phillips nine minutes later.

The Alex responded with Schumacher's fierce 25-yarder turned around by Jon Brain before the resulting corner from Ashley Westwood saw Danny O'Donnell flick a header past the far post.

Bolland proved just as effective in his own box in the 20th minute by clearing O'Donnell's header off the line.

But while Crewe were sufficiently stirred into action by their defensive aberrations, Macc remained a force whenever they went forward.

Draper's low snap-shot from 20 yards just missed the bottom corner after some slack play from Westwood and Matt Tootle had offered the home side the chance to attack the box.

After Shelley was sliced down by Nat Brown, Westwood tried his luck from 25 yards, only to fire his free-kick against the wall.

Schumacher, though, went close with a rasping volley, which billowed the side-netting.

But Daniel went one better when he thumped a first-time effort into the top corner from 30 yards after a loose clearance dropped into his path.

Luke Murphy drove just over from 25 yards and Westwood warmed Brain's hands from further out as Crewe tried to cut the arrears as the first half closed.

Youngster Tootle sensed goal again after his Boxing Day strike and he forced Brain to tip over his right-footer shortly after the re-start.

But Crewe had nearly everyone up in the Macc half when Brayford lost out to Carl Tremarco, who charged down the pitch to deliver a cross to Wright.

Fortunately Shelley threw himself in the way to divert the striker's hooked volley past the post.

That was the last action the youngster saw as he made way for Zola with Gradi going three up front in a bid to save the game.

And the giant striker profited from a handling error from Brain to get Crewe back in business in the 64th minute. The former Port Vale keeper spilled a high cross under pressure and was furiously claiming he'd been manhandled as Zola turned and tucked the ball into an empty net.

Yet as Crewe pressed further, they were caught on the counter and lucky to escape when Daniel's angled drive was deflected wide.

And there were more scares in the Alex box when Sappleton's cross offered shooting chances for Draper and Daniel, which were both blocked.

Donaldson spurned a great chance to reduce the arrears further when he broke clear on the left of the box, but screwed his shot into the side-netting.

Shaun Miller was thrown on for the ineffective Moore, but Macc's five-man defence held firm through a series of goalmouth skirmishes.

And Brain produced a reflex stop to deny Zola a second after the frontman flicked Tootle's cross towards the bottom corner.

Daniel attempted to kill the game off as he broke from his own half, but steered across the face of goal.

But his side didn't need to endure a nervous four added minutes as Sappleton out-muscled O'Donnell and drove into the box before firing under Phillips for the fourth.

MACCLESFIELD: Brain, Reid, Tremarco (Bell, 83), Morgan, Brown, Draper, Bolland, Hessey, Wright (Sappleton, 71), Sinclair (Brisley, 65), Daniel. Subs not used: Veiga, Rooney, Wilson, Lowe.

CREWE: Phillips, Brayford, Tootle, O'Donnell, Worley, Murphy, Westwood, Schumacher, Shelley (Zola, 62), Moore (Miller, 77), Donaldson. Subs not used: Legzdins, Billy Jones, Ada, Mitchel-King, Walton.

Attendance: 3,449.