Leyton Orient were left empty handed on their travels to Gresty Road as a clinical Crewe struck early and late to seal the League Two points on Tuesday.

Head coach Ross Embleton named an unchanged starting line-up from the side that sealed a 2-1 victory over Newport County at Brisbane Road on Saturday while Crewe made three changes to their line-up.

Charlie Kirk, Paul Green and Luke Offord came in to replace Callum Ainsley, Tom Lowery and Nicky Hunt for the hosts.

ANd O's made a disastrous start as goalkeeper Sam Sargeant slipped over allowing Kirk to shoot into an open goal just two minutes into the encounter.

Five minutes later the visitors George Marsh wrapped a ball in behind the opposition's defence and Craig Clay was there to meet it but jabbed his effort just wide of the goal.

The Railwaymen then had another opportunity shortly after but O's young shot-stopper Sargeant did well to turn Kirk's shot round the post for a corner.

The 22-year-old continued to cause Orient problems down the left flank as he curled a strike wide of the mark in the 15th minute.

But young O's striker Ruel Sotiriou volleyed wide after meeting Jordan Maguire-Drew's cross at the front post just moments after Clay tried his luck from 25 yards out.

The young Cypriot forward then won a corner which Maguire-Drew whipped in for Ouss Cisse who headed wide at the back post.

The French midfielder then went for glory from 30 yards in the 26th minute but Will Jaaskelainen gathered it at the second attempt.

Crewe had a chance through Oliver Finney but then the O's soon had another chance to equalise as Sotiriou's individual run ended in a smart save from the Crewe keeper.

The ball fell to Conor Wilkinson, but he couldn't divert the rebound home.

A minute before the break Wilkinson looked to sneak a low strike in at Jaaskelainen's near post but it was saved.

And Josh Wright looked to guide the ball into the top corner on the stroke of half-time, but it was punched away by the Crewe keeper.

Maguire-Drew sent an early free-kick past the post after the restart, but O's had Marvin Ekpiteta to thank for some great defending to cut out Oliver Finney's cross.

And when they thought they had equalised on 53 minutes, when Wilkinson nodded home, the visitors saw it ruled out for a foul.

Marsh was booked for blocking Kirk on halfway and Maguire-Drew's header failed to seriously test Jaaskelainen on the hour, before Finney dragged a shot wide from a tight angle at the other end.

And Finney then saw a tame effort from the edge of the box comfortably collected by Sargeant midway through the half.

Cisse made way for Angol with 19 minutes remaining, with Matt Harrold replacing Marsh soon after as Embleton looked to bolster his attacking options.

Kirk had an effort chalked off for offside, while Wilkinson's shot on the turn was blocked and collected by Jaaskelainen on 79 minutes.

But Dan Happe had to turn Tommy Lowery's cross behind for a corner, after Crewe's Harry Pickering had been booked for time wasting.

The home side sealed the points two minutes from time, though, as Daniel Powell fired a left-footed shot into the bottom corner, leaving O's empty handed ahead of Saturday's trip to struggling Stevenage.

Crewe Alexandra: Jaaskelainen, NG, Pickering, Wintle, Powell, Kirk, Green (Lowery 70), Finney (Jones 74), Anene, Offord (Ainley 85), Nottingham.

Unused subs: Richards, Griffiths, Dale, Sass-Davies.

Leyton Orient: Sargeant, Marsh (Harrold 73), Ekpiteta, Happe, Brophy, Cisse (Angol 71), Wright, Clay, Maguire-Drew, Wilkinson, Sotiriou.

Unused subs: Vigouroux, Widdowson, Coulson, Judd, Kyprianou.

Attendance: 3,294 (including 164 Orient fans).