Crewe's relegation was confirmed as two goals from Louis Dodds helped Port Vale to a 3-0 home victory.
The Valiants got off to a flier, with Dodds scoring his seventh goal of the season in the third minute.
Crewe failed to clear Michael O'Connor's left-wing corner and Dodds pounced to drive in a low left-foot shot from 14 yards which brushed the inside of Ben Garratt's left-hand post on its way in.
But Vale's early onslaught soon ran out of steam and the remainder of a low-quality first half left a lot to be desired.
The visitors did come back into it in terms of possession but failed to trouble home goalkeeper Jak Alnwick.
Crewe improved after making a double substitution at half-time, but still tried to be too intricate in the final third.
Vale wrapped up the points with Dodds' second goal seven minutes from time. Carl Dickinson's free-kick led to JJ Hooper's shot being saved by Garratt, but Dodds smashed the rebound into an unguarded net with a rising left-foot shot from eight yards.
Hooper then received a pass from Michael Brown to curl in Vale's third with a terrific right-foot shot from 16 yards which flew inside the stranded Garratt's left-hand post.