Crewe climbed back into the Sky Bet League Two play-off spots following their goalless draw at mid-table Oldham.
But the Railwaymen must be wondering how they failed to leave Boundary Park with all three points after a dominant display as they sought a third straight league victory.
Stoke loanee Emre Tezgel and Owen Lunt both struck the goal frame while Tezgel had clearly left his shooting boots at home as the eight-goal top scorer missed a host of chances.
Crewe would have been on the fringe of the automatic promotion places had they recorded a fourth win on their league travels.
Oldham’s best chance came early in the second half when Crewe goalkeeper Tom Booth made a brilliant reflex save to keep out a header from veteran striker Joe Garner.
But the home form of Micky Mellon’s side remains a worry as they have won only one of eight league games, one of the worst records in the division, a bitter disappointment for the season’s best crowd of 8,937.
