Crewe...1 Walsall...0

CREWE rubberstamped their solid start to the season with an emphatic 1-0 victory over surprise package Walsall on Monday night.

Emphatic: 1-0?

The scoreline doesn't do this performance justice.

For the majority Dario Gradi's side simply served up a footballing lesson to the Saddlers.

At times it was execution with awesome passes cutting the opposition's defence apart.

It really was this good.

That's two out of two exemplary performances of Division One football at the Alexandra Stadium, in stark contrast to some of the displays witnessed at home last season.

Such commitment and sprit on that pitch has lifted the roof of the place.

Steve Jones was again one of many big performers on the night and those qualities led to the night's decisive moment on 65 minutes.

Jonah seized on former Alex target Danny Hay's hesitancy at the back and threaded the ball through to Lunt who smashed it onto the bar.

The rebound gave centre-half Ian Roper all kinds of trouble and Jones followed up to make sure the ball ended up in the back of the net.

It was just reward for Crewe's total domination in the possession stakes.

Paul Merson looked dangerous at times with the ball but he was reluctant to go and get it and seeing him walk around with hands on hips summed it up.

He and the likes of Vinny Samways were being run ragged.

Steve Foster was unlucky to see his free header cleared off the line and Walsall had keeper Jimmy Walker to thank on several occasions, performing heroics to tip over Ben Rix's 25-yarder and deal with Jonah's tap-in from Cochrane's cross.

Merson made his best contribution after the start of the second half, darting through the box to tee up Leitao who was denied by the urgency of Adie Moses.

Brammer twice went close before Ashton came within a whisker, his downward header thumping against the foot of the post on 59 minutes.

Then Hay saw his effort deflect off McCready and onto the bar before in-form Clayton Ince made one of several crucial catches.

Three minutes later and Crewe were finally in front.

Ashton had the best chance to wrap it all up, latching onto Rix's precision pass that left him one on one, the young striker blasted wide from 10 yards out.

Determined to hold on to their lead after Saturday's blow, the Alex proved resilient throughout a wealth of injury time to secure their 100 percent home record.

Crewe: Ince, McCready, Vaughan, Moses, Foster, Brammer, Cochrane, Lunt, Rix, Jones, Ashton.

Subs not used: Bankole, Bell, Walker, Smart, Robinson.

Attendance - 7,026.

Guardian Man-of-the-Match: Dave Brammer - A captain's game, he drove Crewe forward in midfield throughout.