SHREWSBURY, England (Interstat) — Crewe Alexandra delivered a stunning and comprehensive opening-day statement, routing Shrewsbury Town 4-0 on Saturday in a League Two match that defied all pregame projections.

The visitors seized control of the contest from the opening whistle and never relented, netting two goals within the first eight minutes to silence the home supporters at The Croud Meadow. The result handed Shrewsbury Town a defeat to begin its league campaign while Crewe Alexandra started its season with a emphatic victory.

The match took a remarkable turn just five minutes in when Crewe goalkeeper Matthew Cox scored. Cox launched a long clearance from his own penalty area that took an enormous bounce over the advanced Shrewsbury Town goalkeeper and into the net, marking a rare goal from a goalkeeper and setting an immediate tone for the afternoon.

Crewe’s dominance was further cemented three minutes later. Substitute Josh March, who had entered the game early, announced his impact by scoring his first goal of the day in the eighth minute to double the lead.

Shrewsbury Town struggled to mount any sustained response in the first half. The home side’s frustration showed just before halftime when Crewe’s Jack Lankester received a yellow card in first-half stoppage time.

Any hope of a second-half comeback for Shrewsbury was extinguished shortly after the hour mark. March struck again in the 63rd minute, completing his brace and putting the game out of reach. He was booked for a foul a minute after his goal, but the damage was done.

Crewe substitute Emre Tezgel then put the final exclamation point on the performance, scoring the team’s fourth goal in the 70th minute. Tezgel, who also assisted on one of March’s goals, received a yellow card a minute after his goal.

The lopsided scoreline was a stark contrast to pregame forecasts. Interstat’s game simulator had projected a 1-1 draw, and its ELO rating system gave Shrewsbury Town a 56.4 percent probability of winning the match. Instead, Crewe Alexandra authored one of the most surprising and decisive results of the League Two opening weekend.

Key to the victory was the exceptional performance from Crewe’s substitutes. March led all players with two goals and an assist, while Tezgel contributed a goal and an assist. Lankester also recorded an assist from his substitute role, making the contributions from Crewe’s bench the defining factor in the match.

With the win, Crewe Alexandra begins its League Two season with one win and no losses. Shrewsbury Town starts with no wins and one loss. Both clubs see their overall records across all competitions move to identical marks.