Kit Symons' chances of landing the Crystal Palace manager's job full-time were dealt a huge blow as Crewe recorded their first away win in eight games.

Welshman Symons has been handed the Palace reins on a temporary basis following the departure of Steve Kember last month.

But his hopes of filling that role permanently were cast into doubt as two goals from Dean Ashton and a Luke Varney strike saw Palace put to the sword.

In front of a sparse crowd of just 12,259 at Selhurst Park the visitors started quickly and could have taken the lead almost instantly.

With just a few minutes gone Billy Jones burst clear down the left and when he crossed into the box Ashton was inches away from heading into the net.

Palace had been let off the hook and soon after they responded with a Shaun Derry effort but it was Crewe who looked the hungrier and with seven minutes gone they forged ahead.

Kenny Lunt was the architect with a powerful run and when he played a cunning ball into the channel, Ashton drifted past his marker and hammered the ball home.

That was no more than Alex deserved and with the Palace defence at sixes and sevens, eight minutes later the visitors struck for a second time.

The impressive Lunt set up the chance again, surging through the middle of the park before laying the ball in to Varney who turned and hammered over Thomas Myhre.

Palace were rocking and three minutes later Varney came within inches of netting again when his close-range shot was blocked.

But the hosts managed to weather the storm and despite further scares when Lunt flashed a free-kick wide and Stephen Foster blasted over, as the half progressed they held firm against a torrent of pressure.

Palace had hardly had a shot on goal and so it must have been more than a relief to the home fans when just 34 seconds after the break Garry Borrowdale's swerving cross-shot forced Clayton Ince to parry away to safety.

Wayne Routledge then volleyed close from 20 yards but it was not long before normal order was resumed as Crewe again upped the pace.

Just past the hour mark Lunt drilled in a 20-yard shot that forced Borrowdale to hack clear, but against the run of play Palace grabbed a lifeline when Danny Butterfield rifled home with 12 minutes left.

That set up a tense finish and with time running out Palace tried in vain to find an equaliser but Crewe were always the better side and it was no more than they deserved when Ashton capitalised on an error from Myhre with six minutes left to make the game safe.

Teams

Crystal Palace Myhre, Edwards, Fleming (Black 72), Symons, Borrowdale, Butterfield, Riihilahti, Derry, Routledge, Shipperley, Freedman.

Subs Not Used: Granville, Berthelin, Watson, Hughes.

Booked: Riihilahti.

Goals: Butterfield 78.

Crewe Ince, Wright, McCready (Moses 82), Foster, Tonkin, Cochrane, Lunt, Billy Jones, Steve Jones, Ashton (Higdon 88), Varney (Smart 79).

Subs Not Used: Bankole, Robinson.

Booked: Cochrane.

Goals: Ashton 8, Varney 16, Ashton 86.

Att: 12,259

Ref: P Joslin (Nottinghamshire).