Jacob Brown’s stunning strike opened the scoring in the third minute but the hosts levelled three minutes into the second half. Conor Chaplin headed in with 15 minutes left then Luke Thomas’ late finish into the empty net, after Crewe’s goalkeeper went up for a free-kick, secured the Reds’ place in tomorrow’s fourth round draw. 

Barnsley were not at their best but created by far the better chances and were in control for long periods of the game.  Gerhard Struber made four changes from the side that lost at Derby County on Thursday. Brad Collins, Kenny Dougall, Elliot Simoes, who was making his first professional start, and Brown came in for Sami Radlinger, Aapo Halme, Mike Bahre and Patrick Schmidt who all dropped to the bench.

The Reds opened the scoring in the third minute when Brown smashed a volley from just outside the box into the bottom right corner. It was his second goal of the season after netting in the 2-1 loss at Huddersfield Town in October.  It was almost 2-0 with another spectacular goal in the sixth minute but Alex Mowatt’s 25-yard volley was pushed over by Will Jaaskelainen. Mowatt then sent an overhead kick over the bar after Mads Andersen headed a Clarke Oduor corner then Conor Chaplin shot straight at the goalkeeper from a tight angle six yards out after good work by Brown on the right of the box.

The hosts’ first chance came in the 12th minute when Chuma Anene fired into the side netting from the right of the box. Luke Thomas tested Jaaskelainen with a 15-yard shot in the 18th minute but it was saved down to the goalkeeper’s left after the midfielder cut in from the right of the box following good hold-up play by Brown and a fine Mowatt pass.

Brown volleyed a Williams cross straight at the goalkeeper but the hosts should have levelled in the 34th minute when Bambo Diaby and Dougall crashed into each other near the halfway line and were on the floor as Crewe attacked an outnumbered Barnsley defence. Harry Pickering crossed from the left but Daniel Powell, unmarked at the back post seven yards out, put a superb chance wide. 

The hosts levelled three minutes into the second half when, after a corner was cleared, the ball was put back in from the left and Charlie Kirk lofted it back across goal on the volley for veteran Paul Green to head in from close range amid complaints of offside. 

Brown volleyed over the bar eight yards out after Jaaskelainen could only weakly punch away a cross from the left. Oduor was then close to his first senior goal as he curled a free-kick onto the crossbar from 25 yards out. Brown then curled a 25-yard shot just wide of the top right corner and had another long-range effort easily saved. 

The Reds retook the lead on 75 minutes when Mowatt’s left-wing cross was headed across goal by Diaby and Chaplin headed in his ninth of the season from close range. 

Crewe did not fashion a chance for a leveller but won a left-wing free-kick in the 94th minute which Jaaskelainen went into the box for. It was cleared then Dougall smashed the ball downfield for Thomas who ran into the box to tap into the empty net. 

Crewe (4-3-3): Jaaskelainen; Ng, Wintle, Hunt, Pickering; Ainley (Finney 82), Green, Lowery; Powell, Anene, Kirk.  Unused: Richards, Jones, Johnson, Dale, Adebisi, Mbulu. Goals: Green 48.  Barnsley (4-4-2 diamond): Collins; J Williams, Andersen, Diaby, Oduor (B Williams 78mins); Dougall, Mowatt, Thomas, Simoes (Schmidt 73); Chaplin, Brown. Unused: Radlinger, Bahre, Styles, Sibbick, Halme. Yellow cards: Diaby, J Williams.  Goals: Brown 3, Chaplin 75, Thomas 90+4.