Crewe Alexandra beat Northampton Town 1-0 at the Mornflake Stadium on the second matchday of the League Two season, Josh March scoring the game's only goal early in the second half.
Northampton had the better of the underlying numbers, out-shooting the hosts 15 to six (six on target to three) and edging possession 51.2% to 48.8%, but Crewe won the corner count seven to six and made the breakthrough that mattered.
March, booked in the 36th minute, struck in the 52nd for the winner. Northampton's Lee Evans was the only other player cautioned, booked in the 86th minute.
Northampton's Joe O'Brien-Whitmarsh replaced Logan Briggs in the 65th minute and Elliott List replaced Harvey Saunders in the 66th. Crewe made a double change in the 74th, sending on Charlie McNeill and Kyle Ure for Jack Lankester and Joel Tabiner. Sam Hoskins then replaced Matty Warhurst for Northampton in the 76th, before Adrien Thibaut came on for Jordan Gibson at Crewe in the 89th.