West Brom moved to within three points of the Nationwide League Division One automatic promotion places by comfortably beating Crewe at The Hawthorns on Tuesday.

Jordao gave Albion a 37th-minute lead only to see Dean Ashton pull Crewe level within two minutes.

But the Portuguese star swooped in first-half stoppage time to restore Albion's lead before Daniele Dichio and Scott Dobie added second-half goals to complete a highly satisfactory night for Gary Megson's side.

The hosts made a bright start, and Crewe goalkeeper Clayton Ince was called into action after just six minutes when Dichio attempted to fire Derek McInnes' cross into the net.

West Brom continued to dominate the game, and Larus Sigurdsson should have done better than balloon the ball over the crossbar from 20 yards out in the 14th minute.

Albion threatened again shortly afterwards when Darren Moore headed goalwards only to see Ince make another smart catch, before Jordao failed to hit the target with a 25-yard drive.

Crewe then managed to keep West Brom at bay for a spell, but their resistance was broken eight minutes before the break when Jordao opened the scoring from the edge of the penalty area.

Dobie immediately tried to double the Baggies' lead with a spectacular overhead kick from Igor Balis' cross - but he was unable to prevent the ball flying over the crossbar.

But Crewe rallied, and when David Wright crossed into the penalty area Ashton was on hand to rifle the ball past a helpless Russell Hoult.

Yet just as it seemed the Baggies would be denied an interval lead, Jordao met Balis' right-wing cross to score in stoppage time.

It was a lead that was doubled just four minutes into the second half when Dichio met another Balis cross and headed strongly past Ince.

With Crewe still reeling, Albion made it 4-1 in the 55th minute when Dobie fired into the top-left corner of Ince's goal.

Jordao attempted to complete his hat-trick four minutes later with a shot from distance but was unable to beat Ince.

Sunderland defender Stanislav Varga, who has joined the Baggies on loan until the end of the season, was handed his Albion debut 10 minutes from time when Sigurdsson was forced to hobble off injured.

Teams:

West Brom Hoult, Sigurdsson (Varga 82), Moore, Gilchrist, Balis (Fox 90), Adam Chambers, McInnes, Jordao, Clement, Dichio, Dobie (Taylor 75).

Subs Not Used: Adamson, Cummings.

Goals: Jordao 37, 45, Dichio 49, Dobie 55.

Crewe Ince, Wright (Walker 58), Macauley, Foster, Smith, Collins, Lunt (Rix 76), Sorvel, Ashton, Hulse (Little 63), Jack.

Subs Not Used: Tomlinson, Charnock.

Goals: Ashton 39.

Att: 21,303

Ref: G Cain (Bootle).