But they halted Southend's two-match winning home run with an assured performance.
Alex took the lead in the 35th minute when Clayton Donaldson was brought down, the referee having let play go on before deciding to call everyone back.
Left wing-back Billy Jones curled a fine 25-yard free kick into the top right hand corner of the goal with Shrimpers' goalkeeper Steve Mildenhall caught flat-footed.
Donaldson nearly doubled the visitors' advantage two minutes from half-time when his shot from the left flashed across the face of the goal before going inches wide.
An earlier 30-yard effort from the frontman went straight at Mildenhall, while Byron Moore headed just wide from a Moore cross.
Southend had been frustrated as Crewe put five men across the back when they attacked, meaning most of their efforts were from distance.
Franck Moussa fired straight at goalkeeper John Ruddy and Freedman shot just over the bar from the edge of the box.
But Blues' best chance of the half came when Freedman fed strike partner Theo Robinson, who chested the ball down and volleyed, forcing a diving save out of Ruddy.
The home side attempted to step things up after the break but too often found themselves unable to break down the massed ranks of red shirts, with the only early chance on goal coming from a Jean-Francois Christophe effort from 25 yards which went wide.
Crewe were happy to soak up the pressure and attack on the break, and they should have doubled their advantage after 70 minutes when a Jones free kick was headed to Tom Pope but he missed a sitter, shooting wide of the goal.
There are a lot of questions I would like to ask of Tilly after this terrible performance lacking so much imagination after the promise of the weekend win against Tranmere, how to take a corner without getting caught offside for one. In fact, how about, how to take a corner full stop.
However if you want to read what the man said after this shambles go here: www.southendunited.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10444~1560674,00.html
Bring on the Farmers.