Shaun Miller came off the bench to grab the only goal of the game for Crewe and leave struggling Morecambe looking over their shoulders.
In a poor-quality game, chances were at a premium, with the Shrimpers' Callum Lang missing the visitors' best opening when he failed to convert from close range in the second half.
But Miller made no mistake as he fired a volley into the top corner in the 89th minute to take Crewe to the 50-point mark for the season.
Early on, Jordan Bowery was thwarted by veteran goalkeeper Barry Roche, who saved with his legs after the in-form striker raced clear on the left of the box.
Morecambe suffered a blow when the lively Garry Thompson crumpled on the turf with a serious-looking leg injury and departed on a stretcher. But they went close when skipper Michael Rose's low free-kick forced a fingertip save from Ben Garratt.
Crewe finished the half the stronger and Luke Conlan was well-placed to block a Bowery effort and Roche was out bravely to save at the feet of Paul Green.
But Lang should have put the visitors ahead after the break when he arrived onto substitute Gregg Wylde's cross, only to prod wide.
It was a costly miss as Miller pounced after Eddie Nolan headed on from a corner.
English League Two Standings
POS | Team | GP | GD | PTS |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Cheltenham Town | 32 | +16 | 59 |
2 | Cambridge United | 34 | +19 | 58 |
3 | Forest Green Rovers | 32 | +12 | 57 |
4 | Morecambe | 33 | +3 | 55 |
5 | Tranmere Rovers | 32 | +6 | 54 |
6 | Newport County | 32 | +8 | 51 |
7 | Bolton Wanderers | 33 | +1 | 51 |
8 | Exeter City | 31 | +18 | 50 |
9 | Salford City | 32 | +15 | 50 |
10 | Bradford City | 31 | +3 | 47 |
11 | Harrogate Town | 33 | -2 | 45 |
12 | Crawley Town | 31 | +2 | 44 |
13 | Carlisle United | 29 | +5 | 43 |
14 | Leyton Orient | 32 | -1 | 42 |
15 | Stevenage | 34 | -3 | 41 |
16 | Oldham Athletic | 32 | -7 | 39 |
17 | Scunthorpe United | 31 | -7 | 39 |
18 | Walsall | 32 | -5 | 38 |
19 | Mansfield Town | 32 | -5 | 37 |
20 | Colchester United | 32 | -12 | 36 |
21 | Port Vale | 33 | -6 | 34 |
22 | Barrow | 31 | -6 | 29 |
23 | Southend United | 33 | -26 | 29 |
24 | Grimsby Town | 31 | -28 | 24 |
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