DAVE Artell was distraught that a hard-working Crewe performance had the shine taken off it by conceding three cheap goals.

Wycombe were able to mark the occasion of boss Gareth Ainsworth's 500th game in charge of the Buckinghamshire club by making the most of home mistakes, although victory was in doubt until midfielder Lewis Wing struck his second in the 10th minute of 11 of added time.

The protracted stoppage time was the consequence of Chairboys defender Ryan Tafazolli receiving lengthy treatment after throwing himself in the line of a Rekeem Harper blockbuster soon after Chris Porter's header had cut the two-goal arrears in the second half.

Crewe were on top at that stage, but unable to make it count against the promotion chasers and conceding a sloppy third goal left a rather generous complexion to Wycombe's winning margin.

"We gave them three goals. They didn't have to work hard for them, but we have to work hard for our goals," said Artell.

"We got back into the game straight after their second and had the momentum. But we'd gifted them the two-goal lead and even the third goal.

"The players are learning harsh lessons. When you've got older lads making mistakes it makes it difficult; the young lads are surviving.

"Wycombe always come out of the traps flying. But we had a right good go and they had to change shape twice in the second half to combat what we were doing.

"I don't want to take anything away from Wycombe and it's not sour grapes but they didn't deserve to score three goals, but they have.

"We've got to become more consistent and the lads who made mistakes this week understand the importance of those mistakes so they don't make them again."

There was an element of fortune about the visitors' opener (14), although it was tame defending too as Jason McCarthy squeezed clear near the right byline and his toe-poked effort deflected off Sam Vokes' backside through keeper Dave Richards' legs.

Josh Lundstram, offered a difficult chance to level at the back post from Dan Agyei's cross, blasted well over.

Wycombe could have added to their lead before the break with Anis Mehmeti driving wide with the goal gaping and Richards doing well to keep out Daryl Horgan's shot with a foot.

Agyei's finishing let him down after the break twice, including a dreadful ballooned effort after Chris Long had worked hard down the left to pull the ball back over the box.

It looked over when a crashing strike from Wing beat Richards into the corner of the net in the 55th-minute.

But Porter was exemplary again winning the aerial battle, getting in front of his man to head home Tommy Lowery's cross three minutes later.

When Taffozolli took one for the team and trudged off in a daze, Crewe were still in contention.

Yet they lacked the quality in the final third to carve out another clear opening. How they could have done with a frontman such as Sam Vokes to hold up play on a pitch which was part quagmire again under the shadow of the main stand.

But the former Wales international's wage packet will no doubt dwarf most of his opponents today and exemplified the advantage a club that was playing Championship football last season have, like most of the rest of the division, over the Alex.

The March fixture screams that out with games against Portsmouth, Sunderland, Wigan, MK Dons and Bolton probably meaning a less-onerous April schedule will come too late to save the day.

For Wycombe, players and fans were able to celebrate Ainsworth's landmark with a move back into the top six.

One of the long-serving manager's earliest games in charge of the Chairboys was a 4-1 FA Cup defeat at Gresty Road in November 2012 during Steve Davis' Alex reign.

Crewe loanee Anthony Stewart and Josh Scowen were in Ainsworth's side more than nine years ago and were on duty again today.

Ainsworth said: "I was nervous but desperate to see us get a win. The fans made it a brilliant occasion and the boys did me proud on what was a nice occasion for me.

"Crewe have got lots of young talent and they had lots of energy. I think their fans have been a bit harsh on them as they've sold some good players - they were fantastic last season.

"They had one moment when Ryan has chucked himself in front of the shot, but it was a really good team performance and if we keep the solidity and passion we have shown then the last 10 games are going to be really interesting."

Crewe: Richards 6; Johnson 8, Offord 7, O'Riordan 7; Lundstram 6 (Salisbury), Lowery 8, Griffiths 6, Harper 6 (Finney); Long 7, Porter 6, Agyei 6 (Sambou). Subs: Jaaskelainen, Lawton, Murphy, Onyeka.

Wycombe: Stockdale; Stewart, Taffozolli (Forino), Obita; McCarthy, Wing, Scowen, McCleary (Hanlan), Horgan (Wheeler), Mehmeti (Young); Vokes. Subs: Dickinson, Grimmer, Akinfenwa.

Attendance: 4,031