Crewe kept the pressure on League Two’s top three as Elliott Nevitt’s 15th goal of the season saw off bottom-of-the-table Sutton 1-0.
The London strugglers matched their high-flying hosts for long periods but Nevitt’s 71st-minute strike means they have now gone 16 games without a clean sheet.
During a disjointed first half, home midfielder Joel Tabiner saw his early effort pushed wide by Steve Arnold after the Sutton keeper had spilled a dangerous left-wing cross by Charlie Kirk.
Arnold then somehow escaped any punishment after racing out of his goal to clatter into Shilow Tracey, with referee Andrew Humphries, taking charge of his first EFL game, waving play on to the astonishment of the Gresty Road faithful.
After the break, Sutton’s unmarked defender Joe Kizzi squandered a great opportunity to open the scoring when he failed to hit the target from four yards after being picked out by Charlie Lakin’s corner.
Kizzi was then unable to prevent Nevitt’s shot from crossing the line after he had raced on to a through ball from Aaron Rowe and clipped the ball past an advancing Arnold.
