CREWE left it late to advance their top-seven cause with goals from Max Clayton and Luke Murphy.

Teenager Clayton stepped off the bench to provide some much-needed spark after a night of lethargy in front of goal at both ends.

Gresty Road was facing its first goalless stalemate of the season with only the antics of official Rob Madley proving to be a talking point.

But the 17-year-old first-year professional netted his third senior goal with an instinctive finish before Luke Murphy wrapped up a win which sees the Alex climb to tenth in the League Two table.

With loan centre-half James Tunnicliffe ruled out with a shoulder injury, Steve Davis redeployed son Harry alongside Dave Artell while reintroducing Lee Bell into midfield.

And Bell showed no sign he was lacking sharpness after his recent hernia surgery as he was quickly involved in the early action, unleashing from 25 yards into the arms of Ian Dunbavin.

Shaun Miller followed suit soon after with a rising drive, but that long-distance effort also failed to trouble the Stanley keeper.

A more clear-cut opportunity emerged for Greg Pearson when Nick Powell chipped the ball through a wide gap between the Stanley centre-halves. But the on-loan striker was let down by his first touch and failed to get a shot away.

Without a goal since September, Miller's tenancy of a regular strike berth grows in doubt by the game.

But there was no faulting his effort, if his touch let him down at times. Danny Coid did well to get back to thwart him as he appeared to have got the last man on his shoulder.

Stanley drew howls for a couple of meaty challenges in the middle of the park with Luke Joyce amazingly escaping any punishment for a lunge at Westwood. The midfielder's reaction, though, saw him straight into Madley's book.

Powell shrugged off the fuss and danced past his man to drive a low shot a yard past the post.

Stanley had sunk to a 4-0 loss in Paul Cook's first game in charge against Plymouth at the weekend, so their cautious approach was perhaps understandable.

They offered very little as an attacking force in the first 45 save when Hull City loanee Jamie Devitt forced Steve Phillips to push away a fierce right-footer after cutting in from the flank.

Crewe were denied a 27th-minute penalty when another of Stanley's loan men, Everton youngster Toto Nsiala, blatantly handled, bringing Westwood's cross under control in the 27th minute.

And soon after Madley further endeared himself to the Alex faithful when he booked Powell for diving, although the teenager appeared to have been clipped by Kevin McIntyre as he raced towards the box.

Justice, of sorts, was done when the Stanley left-back did see yellow after he had again halted Powell in full fight.

It was Accrington's turn to appeal for a penalty appeal soon after the restart, but Madley was again unconvinced that Pearson was a guilty offender this time.

At the other end, Pearson made room on the right of the box with some neat footwork, but Dean Winnard blocked the frontman's shot.

By this stage, a flurry of substitutions promised to freshen up a tepid affair.

Danny Shelley replaced Bell in the middle, while with no signs that Miller was going to end his goal drought any time soon, Clayton was on to inject some life into the attack.

Accrington drafted on veteran midfielder Bryan Hughes and young Blackburn winger Micah Evans.

Former Birmingham and Charlton man Hughes hinted at the quality the game was sorely lacking when he tried to chip Phillips from 20 yards with the ball just dropping over.

Crewe were struggling to carve out clear-cut openings against some gritty defending, particularly from Nsiala who was proving to be excellent in the air.

But he was nowhere to be seen when the Lancastrians' ramparts were finally breached with 10 minutes remaining thanks to some instinctive finishing from young Clayton.

Westwood's well-hit corner was helped on by Artell and, before Stanley could land a boot on the loose ball, Clayton had swivelled to hook a right-footed volley into the far corner.

The teenager then threatened a second when he made space for a right-footed shot which flew just past the post.

Murphy also turned and drove a yard over as Crewe were finishing with a flourish.

Powell teased Nsiala into conceding a free kick on the edge of the box from which Winnard was fortunate to divert the teenager's fierce shot over.

Stanley boss Cook had his third loan player off the bench in the closing minutes, but Charlton striker Michael Smith was as unproductive as the rest of the visiting attackers.

And Murphy sealed victory when he arrived to meet Powell's cut-back from the by-line to drive under Dunbavin in the last minute.