Super Port bid adieu to 2025 with a bang as they dynamited a 289-day home league hex at a joyful Rodney Parade writes Tony Rees.
Strikes by battering ram raider Courtney Baker-Richardson and Man of the Match Sammy Braybrooke in either half handed Exiles' Austrian boss Christian Fuchs his first ever victory as a senior manager and finally shifted County off the bottom of League Two, the Gwent club having been nailed there for almost ten weeks.
As Newport's fellow strugglers crashed on the night, this win enabled Fuch's warriors to leap-frog free-falling Harrogate and move to within one point of 22nd Bristol Rovers, who are clasping the final safety ticket.
Gala's 'Free from Desire' and the Stereophonic hit 'Dakota' started a wild party at the final whistle - an almost 4,000-strong Amber Army's joy so evident as they celebrated wildly with the County squad and management.
This crucial triumph might have been even more emphatic, of course with winger Bobby Kamwa and borrowed Leicester star Braybrooke, in possibly his final Port outing before a return to the Foxes, such a menace at the cutting edge. But, if the pair were heroes, so too the central defensive pillars of skipper James Clarke, Lee Jenkins and Matt Baker, who snuffed out any Crewe reprisal.
County needed to re-shuffled their line-up for their third clash in nine days and with that January 1st date at table-topping Bromley looming - and got the mix right.
The three-centre-back strategy continued with Clarke again lead defender. Anthony Glennon came in at left wing-back, Matt Smith patrolled defensive midfield, Kamwa and Michael Spellman, so impressive against Barnet on Boxing Day, supporting the returning target-man Baker-Richardson.
The Railwaymen were without striker Josh March, who was nursing a damaged shoulder, journeyman 33-year-old Lewis Moult his replacement. Quick-silver Dion Rankine moved into a wide attacking position, borrowed Stockport defender Jay Mingi going into the back four.
Temperature inside the stadium had plummeted at the start and Exiles' nerves were jangling early on in the clash. Max Sanders' snap shot took a deflection off Jenkins' knee, as it drifted just wide with keeper Jordan Wright scrambling.
County stopper Wright, though, vitally thwarted James Connolly in the 17th minutes from point-blank range, after Moult had climbed high to knock a header across goal.
Yet, the warning signs were there for the Alex as speedster Kamwa continuously roasted Mingi and Reece Hutchinson up the left. Indeed, the Cameroon winger had a huge input into what followed, as County went ahead on 27 minutes.
Braybrooke's in-swinging corner, won by Kamwa's persistence, was inch perfect. Baker-Richardson's thunderous header was pushed back by Sam Waller, only for the Port raider to gleefully smash the rebound into the roof of the net.
It was the former Crewe player's second goal in four games and the Railwaymen almost came off the track again moments on as Braybrooke's skill set up Kamwa, who fired his powerful drive into Waller's mid-drift.
Despite Sanders' midfield industry, Crewe were continuously over-run and out-battled in the fierce exchanges. Visitor's chief Lee Bell had seen enough by 54 minutes and hooked Rankine, Owen Lunt and Jack Powell for Matus Holicek, Calum Agius and former Newport hit-man Omar Bogle.
Fuchs and number two Mark Smith urged their men forward. and County might have have doubled their lead prior to the hour. Crewe were struggling to cope with Baker-Richardson's physicality - the big striker, out-muscling Connolly and touched on for Clarke to narrowly nudge wide.
County so nearly breached Crewe's barricades seconds later. Brraybrooke's slide rule ball released Kamwa, who sped between Mingi and Sanders, before sending his right footer fractionally wide with Baker-Richardson stretching to get contact.
But this rip-roaring contest was settled 15 minutes from time. The Railwaymen failed to clear another County assault, substitute Ben Lloyd seeing his shot charged down, Braybrooke's left-footer scorching past the rooted Waller.
It was a superb 12-yard finish from the blonde schemer and it certainly didn't diminish Port's desire to extend their advantage as menacing Kamwa sent another screamer past a Crewe upright. Braybrooke then lifting his rocket over and sub Nathan Opoku's slalom run almost ended with a deserved third goal.
Newport County [3-5-2]
Jordan Wright
Joe Thomas
Lee Jenkins
James Clarke [C]
Matt Baker
Anthony Glennon
Matt Smith
Michael Spellman
Sammy Braybrooke
Courtney Baker-Richardson
Bobby Kamwa
Subs
Nik Tzanev [GK]
Cameron Evans
Ciaran Brennan for Smith 85 mins
Cameron Antwi for Kamwa 90+2 mins
Liam Shephard for Glennon 85 mins
Ben Lloyd for Spellman 74 mins
Nathan Opoku for Baker-Richardson 74 mins
Crewe Alexandra
Sam Waller
Jay Mingi
James Connolly
Lewis Billington
Reece Hutchinson
Max Sanders
Jack Powell
Tommi O'Reilly
Owen Lunt
Dione Rankine
Lewis Moult
Subs
Omar Bogle for Powell 54 mins
Tom Booth [GK]
Phil Croker
Matus Holicek for Lunt 54 mins
Charlie Finney for Mingi 69 mins
Stan Dancey
Calum Agius for Rankine 54 mins
Referee: Abigail Byrne
Assistants: Ciaran Barlow & Mark Senior
Fourth Official: Steven Swan
Attendance 3,925 [284]