Crewe Alexandra secured their first away win of the League Two season at Stevenage, who had Ben Nugent sent off against old club early on.
Jordan Bowery's brilliant second-half strike proved the difference between the two sides as Stevenage slumped to a third defeat from four games.
Stevenage players crowded referee Craig Hicks after Nugent was shown red after just 12 minutes for pulling down Shaun Miller.
The home side then had to withstand a barrage of Crewe attacks after going down to 10 men as the Railwaymen constantly put balls into the box.
The visitors had a goal ruled out before the break when George Ray was adjudged to have fouled Kurtis Guthrie in the build-up.
James Jones then came on just after the hour mark and his first touch played in Bowery, who scored superbly with the outside of his right boot, bending it just inside the goalkeeper's right post. And the striker then made his mark down the other end to block Alex Revell's goal-bound strike.
Jones almost made it two but Timothy Dieng made a great save, before Chris Porter struck the base of the post for the visitors.
Match report supplied by the Press Association.
