Sam Gale scored his first Gillingham goal in the closing stages to end Crewe Alexandra's perfect start to the season, the centre-back settling a tight contest at Priestfield with an 89th-minute finish.
Gale flicked on a corner from Armani Little and then got into space, pouncing on a loose ball from close range to give the hosts a 1-0 win and extend their unbeaten run to 17 matches.
Crewe Squander Early Control
The visitors had the majority of the play early on and nearly took the lead when Mickey Demetriou's header, following a Max Sanders free-kick, came back off the crossbar.