SWINDON Town threw away a two-goal lead as they were beaten 4-2 away at Crewe Alexandra on Tuesday night.

Anthony Grant and Tyler Smith put John Sheridan’s men two goals to the good in the first half before Crewe – who had lost all of their previous three games – netted four times to take all three points.

Daniel Powell halved the deficit two minutes after Town’s second had gone in, and three goals in 13 second-half minutes completed the comeback.

Captain, Perry Ng scored the equaliser in the 52nd minute before Tom Lowery and Owen Dale netted three minutes apart just after the hour.

One of very few shining lights for Swindon was Harry Parsons’ competitive debut late in the second half.

Swindon started Tuesday’s game against Crewe how they finished against Oxford United, with derby-day heroes, Tyler Smith and Tom Broadbent starting up top together.

Jaiyesimi was included in the starting XI for the first time since mid-October while it was a very warm welcome back to the bench for Dion Conroy after over a year out.

For Crewe, former Swindon captain Olly Lancashire started for David Artell's men.

It did not take long for Broadbent to have an impact up top as he went close with a header inside the opening five minutes.

Crewe responded through captain, Perry Ng, who lasered a strike narrowly off target from 25 yards shortly after.

Jonathan Grounds bravely blocked from Tom Lowery in the Town penalty area before an unlikely goalscorer nudged Sheridan’s men ahead in the 20th minute.

Matt Smith's corner was headed away at the near post and Dion Donohue pumped the follow up back in towards Broadbent.

Grant chested the knockdown in front of him before volleying sweetly into the far corner to put Town ahead.

Crewe looked a little shell-shocked by Town's opener, and the visitors almost took advantage to double their lead minutes later.

Payne won the ball back in midfield and played Broadbent in down the left channel.

The striker's cross towards Smith was just too far in front of the Sheffield United loanee though, and the ball trickled away for a goal kick.

And in an action-packed final 10 minutes of the first half, Swindon first doubled their lead in the 37th minute before being pegged back by their hosts two minutes later.

Firstly, Town went two goals up when Jaiyesimi's cross-shot from the left corner of the box was poked home by the big toe of Tyler Smith before a really poor error from Paul Caddis let Daniel Powell pull one back.

Caddis’ header should have cleared the box, but instead the former Celtic man headed tamely up in the air.

Powell controlled, twisted onto his left foot before cleverly passing through the legs of Matej Kovar and into the far side of the net.

Lowery had the first shot at goal in the second period after he cut in from the left before shooting, but his effort was always sailing off target from the edge of the box.

But seven minutes after the break, Crewe did manage to make it 2-2.

The ball was worked out to Crewe captain, Ng on the right, he simply took a touch back onto his left before curling into the far corner as Kovar barely moved.

Crewe were fully in control at this point and struck both posts within minutes of each other shortly before the hour.

First, Powell cut inside Caddis and blasted an effort at the left post - Kovar had little chance as he dived across - but it hit the upright and bounced away.

Moments later, after Dale shot straight at Kovar, Ng crashed an effort off the other post after collecting a loose pass at the back post.

Unsurprisingly, Crewe took the lead shortly after with Swindon rocking, and you could see it coming as clearly as the half nine train from Stoke.

Powell tied Caddis up once again before shooting low down to Kovar's left. The Town stopper made a good save at full stretch but was powerless to stop Lowery following in to give the hosts a third.

And three minutes later, it got even worse for Sheridan’s men as Crewe scored a fourth.

Powell - who was running the show for the hosts by this point - clipped a ball to the back post for Owen Dale to nod down and back past Kovar as he scrambled across.

Crewe held the game by the neck for the remainder as Finney went close a few times, but Kovar was equal to the couple that managed to hit the target.

CAFC starting XI: Jaaskelainen, Ng, Pickering, Wintle, Powell, Lowery, Porter, Lancashire, Offord, Dale, Murphy.

Subs: Richards, Kirk, Mandron, Finney, Zanzala, Johnson, Beckles STFC starting XI: Kovar, Caddis, Odimayo, Grounds, Donohue, Jaiyesimi, M Smith, Grant, Payne, T Smith, Broadbent.

Subs: Fryer, Conroy, Curran, Stevens, Haines, Parsons, Holland.