Crewe 0-3 Man Utd
Manchester United cruised past Crewe in the third round of the Carling Cup.
Sir Alex Ferguson made 11 changes from the side that beat Arsenal on Sunday and Alan Smith took just 10 minutes to coolly slot the visitors in front.
Crewe had chances of their own, with Dean Ashton and Steve Jones testing United goalkeeper Tim Howard.
But Liam Miller converted David Bellion´s pass, Stephen Foster put the ball into his own net and United easily held on to ease into the next round.
Although United´s team was completely different from Sunday it was a stronger-looking second string than in previous years, and their players began as if they had a point to prove to Ferguson.
It took them just 10 minutes to take the lead, Darren Fletcher´s shot cannoning off the crossbar and from the rebound Louis Saha feeding Smith, who slotted past the advancing Ben Williams.
Crewe reponded immediately, highly-rated young striker Ashton forcing a fine save from Tim Howard.
United seemed to settle for their one-goal lead and began to spray the ball around, Smith exerting his influence in a deep-lying forward role and Kieran Richardson getting forward well down the left.
Crewe started the second half well, David Vaughan having a shot saved by Howard and Jones´ right-foot effort also testing the American stopper.
But two goals inside two minutes just before the hour mark finished the Championship strugglers off.
Bellion collected the ball down the United right and sent a defence-splitting pass into the box for Miller to neatly slot home and double the lead.
And moments later Richardson´s centre was mis-hit by Bellion only for the ball to ricochet off Crewe defender Foster and into the net.
Ferguson took the opportunity to hand Spanish midfielder Gerard Pique and young striker Sylvain Ebanks-Blake their first-team bows as the game petered out.