Striker Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, United captain for the night, had put Alex Ferguson's [ Images ] side ahead before the half hour but Luke Varney scored a deserved equaliser 17 minutes from the end of regulation time.

"There were seven internationals out there for United but you have to work hard before you can win a football match," said Ferguson. "We let Crewe get a toe-hold which we shouldn't have."

Striker Alan Smith, returning to the side for the first time since breaking his leg nine months ago, laid on the winner with a crossfield ball that Lee ran on to to steer past Ben Williams.

England [ Images ] midfielder Joe Cole [ Images ], also back after a long injury layoff, scored the first goal in Chelsea's [ Images ] 2-0 win at Blackburn Rovers in one of four all-Premier League ties.

Cole struck in the 53rd minute to net a cross from Salomon Kalou [ Images ], who added the second nine minutes from time off a rebound after keeper Brad Friedel parried Shaun Wright-Phillips' shot.

Newcastle United's Peruvian Nolberto Solano scored twice, his first a fine diving header into the roof of the net from Damien Duff's [ Images ] far post cross, in a 3-0 win over Portsmouth.

Striker Giuseppe Rossi [ Images ], on loan from Manchester United, had put Newcastle ahead with a turn and low shot in the 48th.

GOAL GLUT

Charlton Athletic, bottom of the Premier League, beat Bolton Wanderers 1-0 at The Valley with striker Marcus Bent heading home in the 17th minute from Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink's cross.

Liverpool looked to be coasting against Reading at Anfield with a 3-0 lead and 15 minutes to go but in a frantic final quarter of an hour the visitors scored three times although Peter Crouch 77th minute goal ensured the home side won 4-3.

Robbie Fowler, with a fine opening strike, John Arne Riise and Argentine defender Gabriel Paletta, with his first goal for the club, scored Liverpool's first three.

Strike partners Mido and Jermain Defoe [ Images ] scored two apiece to help Tottenham Hotspur [ Images ] rout fourth division MK Dons 5-0. Ireland captain Robbie Keane netted their fifth in the final minute.

The shock of the round was West Ham United's 2-1 defeat at third division Chesterfield on Tuesday - the struggling east London [ Images ] club's eighth consecutive defeat in all competitions.