Boss Lee Bell admitted Crewe were not at their best but praised Zac Williams for his late goal which secured a 1-0 win at Accrington.
Williams scored in the 85th minute, getting on the end of Ryan Cooney’s cross, to make it three successive league wins for the Alex as they moved up to ninth in the table.
For Stanley, they remain without a win this season under John Doolan.
Bell said: “The most important thing is we have won three and drawn one since we had that major setback at home (a 5-0 loss to Chesterfield).
“This game wasn’t one for the purists and I spoke to the players during the second half and said we weren’t able to change what was happening now but we need to protect our goal and I thought we would get an opportunity from a cross like that.
“Well done to Zac for tucking it away – it’s a brilliant three points.
“This team keep on going, we had good body language on the pitch and I knew an opportunity would come and we had to be in the right position.
“The boys were brilliant defensively – that’s another clean sheet. They are massively important.
“We want to try and play how we want to but, when it’s not going your way, it’s important you grind out clean sheets. If you keep a clean sheet you will always get an opportunity like we did.
“We will get better but, if we are not at our best, it’s important we send the fans home happy.”
Doolan’s side remain in the bottom two and had just one shot on target. They have conceded late goals in all of their League Two home games so far to deny them vital points.
Doolan said: “We didn’t do the basics – passing and controlling the ball.
“To be fair, we started off on the front foot and then we were making the wrong decisions, giving the ball away cheaply, we couldn’t get hold of the ball and they grew into the game.
“We knew they had a few lads with long throws so it’s disappointing to concede a goal with a long throw and the second ball.
“It is frustrating at the moment. We were on top but needed to make something happen but we never had that bit of quality and it was difficult. It looked like it had 0-0 written all over it.
“There is a nervousness around the lads, you can’t knock their hard work and effort but you have to see these games out.
“It’s a learning curve for some of them and the quicker they learn the better.”
