Crewe escaped relegation by the skin of their teeth as a narrow win over Coventry, combined with Gillingham's 2-2 draw with Nottingham Forest, preserved their status in the Coca-Cola Championship.
Alex knew they had to claim maximum points at Gresty Road and hope results at either Brighton or the City Ground went their way.
And in a tense afternoon across the country, that is how it materialised.
Crewe kept their side of the bargain by putting in a superb second-half performance to see off the Sky Blues.
Dario Gradi's men looked consigned to League One when, in a one-sided first half, former Crewe favourite Dele Adebola gave the visitors the lead.
But the second half saw Alex come into the clash and goals by substitute Michael Higden and Steve Jones guided them to victory.
And as the scoreline from Forest filtered through, Crewe were able to celebrate a miraculous Houdini act.
Adebola, returning to the club he left in 1998, almost broke the deadlock after just three minutes but his header off a floated Stephen Hughes free-kick drifted just over.
It was the visitors, facing into an increasingly strong first-half wind, who played all the football in the early stages as Crewe struggled to string two passes together.
Andrew Whing's diving header went straight at goalkeeper Clayton Ince before Adebola, a handful throughout the opening period, saw a flicked header from
another Hughes cross slip by the post.
A goal was on the cards and it duly came from a straight-forward free-kick in
the 25th minute.
Again it was the cultured left foot of Hughes that was the provider and,
again, Adebola rose highest to fire a fierce header into the top corner.
Gary McSheffrey had two chances to double Coventry's lead within five minutes
of Adebola's goal but he dragged both efforts wide to the right of sprawling
'keeper Ince.
Crewe finally began to show signs of life towards the end of the half and a
flashing drive by Justin Cochrane almost took his side into the break on level
terms.
Gradi threw on big striker Michael Higden for the second half and the
substitution paid dividends within 10 minutes.
Luke Varney worked the left channel well and sent in a low cross to Higden,
who turned and rocketed a strong shot past Steele.
The crowd immediately came to life and Crewe's fluent passing game, a
philosophy Gradi refuses to neglect even in times of strife, became all the more
evident.
Coventry, who secured their Championship status with a 6-2 thumping of Derby
last weekend, remained dangerous in their attacking third and Alex were indebted
to Ince when the Trinidadian parried away a curling McSheffrey free-kick.
Crewe thought they had claimed a lifeline when Steele came out to challenge
the onrushing Jones and was adjudged to have barged over the Northern Ireland
international just outside the box.
But with the crowd baying for a red card, the referee chose to brandish a
yellow instead.
But Crewe were not to be denied and in the 74th minute they took the lead. An
excellent run by David Vaughan ended with Varney collecting the ball on the
left.
He twisted and turned past Page and supplied a driven cross that was rammed
home with glee by Jones.
Ince was again called upon to turn aside McSheffrey's close-range flick while
Hughes side-footed wide from the edge of the area as the game opened up in the
nerve-wracking dying stages.
But that was the final chance Coventry would have and the final whistle was
met with jubilant scenes in the small Gresty Road stadium.
Teams
Crewe Ince, Moss, Billy Jones, Murdock, Tonkin, Lunt,
Sorvel (Higdon 45), Cochrane (Moses 88), Vaughan,
Steve Jones (White 89), Varney.
Subs Not Used: Williams, Rivers.
Goals: Higdon 54, Steve Jones 72.
Coventry Steele, Page, Williams, Staunton (Jorgensen 32),
Whing, Doyle, Hughes (Morrell 86), Dyer, McSheffrey,
Adebola (Goater 68), John.
Subs Not Used: Pressman, Benjamin.
Booked: Steele.
Goals: Adebola 23.
Att: 9,269
Ref: A Kaye (W Yorkshire).
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