A wonder free-kick from Kenny Lunt earned Crewe their first victory of the Nationwide Division One campaign.
The midfielder bent a 20-yard set-piece over the Ipswich wall and keeper Kelvin Davis was beaten by the ball as the ball flew in off the upright.
The former Wimbledon man had stood between the Railwaymen and what seemed an inevitable first-half lead that the home side dominated in warm summer sunshine.
After a lack-lustre show in their opening game at Wimbledon seven days ago, the Cheshire side were a revitalised force with youngster Ben Rix prominent with his work in the middle of the park.
He played in both Crewe strikers Steve Jones and Dean Ashton inside the first five minutes but they were let down by the quality of their finishing.
Home keeper Clayton Ince beat away Darren Bent's scorching drive in the eighth minute at the end of a rare Ipswich counter-attack.
The East Anglians were reliant on a long-ball game that played into the hands of Dario Gradi's skilful youngsters.
Most of the play went the other way and Crewe should have made more of their possession.
Davis made a brilliant block at the far post to prevent David Wright from grabbing a rare goal.
He turned away Ashton's volley around his post after Crewe skipper David Brammer had flicked on a long free kick.
Rix came close to connecting with a Jones cross at the start of the second half and Ashton failed to improve on the standard of his shooting as he blazed high and wide after Jones had teed him up.
It could have cost them dearly as they endured a horrendous ten-minute spell in which Ipswich's goalmouth had a charmed life.
The Trinidadian keeper pushed out a Fabien Wilnis effort and then had to rely on Wright hacking off Tommy Miller's follow-up header off the line.
Then Richard Naylor headed Jim Magilton's corner onto the bar, before half-time substitute Pablo Counago rounded Ince only to see Chris McCready divert his goal-bound effort away from the corner of the net.
Ashton headed wide from a Lunt free kick, but it was from that route Crewe grabbed their winner which they had just about merited.
Crewe boss Dario Gradi said: "We played well especially in the first half, but Ipswich were harder to handle after they changed at half time. They gave away at lot of fouls and they paid the price. It was a super free kick from Kenny."