Crewe were left rueing a host of missed chances in the second half of a goalless stalemate with Chesterfield.
Colin Little and Kenny Lunt were the guilty parties putting presentable opportunities over the bar, but Dario Gradi's side got the upper hand over the hard working visitors.
Chesterfield suffered a blow before the kick-off when leading scorer Glynn Hurst was ruled out with tendonitis and the troubles were made worse after less than a minute of football when his replacement Jon Howard was stretchered off after colliding with Efe Sodje.
Dave Rushbury's side ignored their problems to dominate much of the first 45, but they lacked finishing edge around the box and the closest they came was when Howard's replacement Jamie Burt headed in from an offside position.
The lively Chris Brandon did test the home keeper Clayton Ince with a low shot into the near post after some neat footwork on the right of the box.
Little volleyed into visiting keeper Carl Muggleton's hands midway through the half but the best chance of the home side fell to Dean Ashton after Little's shot was deflected off Kevin Dawson, but the youngster screwed the ball wide with the goal at his mercy at the far post.
Just past the hour mark Ashton cut in from the left and squared to Little who could only prod his effort over the bar from just eight yards out and shortly after that Lunt could do no better after Little had supplied the cross with the midfielder blazing high over the crossbar with his first-time shot.
It almost proved costly when Chris Brandon may have got a penalty at the other end. The winger seized on a poor backpass and appeared to be clipped by the onrushing Ince, but the referee ignored his appeals and Steve Foster cleared the ball from danger.
In a late flurry Muggleton proved to be the saviour for Chesterfield parrying Ashton's angled shot and then saving from the same player with his legs before pushing a drive by Rodney Jack out for a corner