Port Vale edged closer to securing a place in the League Two automatic promotion zone with a late goal from Ronan Curtis that sealed a 1-0 victory over Morecambe, who are battling relegation.
Curtis's decisive strike came in the 89th minute, propelling Darren Moore's team two positions up the table to fourth place, level on points with AFC Wimbledon in third.
On the other hand, Morecambe remains entrenched in the 23rd spot, now trailing the safety zone by seven points.
The initial scoring opportunity of the game fell to Morecambe in the third minute when Gwion Edwards came close to surprising goalkeeper Ben Amos with a lob.
Vale thought they had taken the lead ten minutes later when Jayden Stockley converted Connor Hall's cross, but the goal was disallowed for offside.
With the match largely devoid of clear chances, the action picked up around the hour mark as Stockley was seemingly brought down in the penalty area, but no penalty was given much to the frustration of the home fans.
In response, Morecambe launched a swift counterattack, forcing Amos to palm away a long-range effort from Callum Jones.
Amos was again called into action in the 67th minute, producing a fine save to thwart Edwards' close-range header.
The momentum then shifted towards the hosts, who came close to breaking the deadlock when Ryan Croasdale's shot struck the post.
The decisive moment arrived in the dying minutes of regular time as Curtis expertly curled the ball into the bottom corner from 25 yards out, clinching a crucial win for Port Vale in their promotion bid.