Crewe maintained their push for promotion in League Two with a battling 1-0 victory over Morecambe.

A second-half goal from Chris Long gave Lee Bell’s side the three points although Morecambe will once again be left wondering how they failed to get anything from the game as they missed a host of good chances.

Substitute Long broke the deadlock after 69 minutes when he slotted home Ryan Cooney’s pull back after the full-back was allowed a free run into the box in the vital moment of the game.

Second from bottom Morecambe had the better chances of the game but failed to find the target.

Callum Jones wasted two glorious opportunities to give his side the lead before the break. After missing a close-range header unmarked he then dragged an effort wide with only Filip Marschall to beat after a quickly taken free-kick.

Marschall was forced into a good save from Gwion Edwards’s long-range drive and in the second half the Shrimps pushed forward with David Tutonda fizzing a shot wide and Yann Songo’o twice going close but the Crewe defence held firm to take the points.