A poor first-half cost Barrow dearly as they went down 3-1 at Crewe in new boss Paul Gallagher’s first game in charge.
It leaves the Bluebirds with just one win in 12 games and still sitting 19th, six points clear of the drop zone.
All the goals came in the first half when they had gone 2-0 down before pulling one back, and then conceding a third.
The opener came on 13 minutes when Tommi O’Reilly saw his low shot go in off the near post. Four minutes later Calum Agius fired home the second after being given the opportunity to finish by Josh March.
Barrow looked as though they were back in the game on 31 minutes when Isaac Fletcher was on hand to finish after home keeper Ian Lawlor was unable to hold onto a shot from Connor Mahoney.
But six minutes later Crewe restored their two-goal advantage. Wyll Stanway had initially turned over an effort from Matus Holicek but from the corner the Barrow defending lacked authority and they conceded a third.
The flag-kick by Max Sanders was headed on by Mickey Demetriou and without anyone there to clear bounce invitingly into the path of March who couldn’t miss from two yards.
Barrow made a fight of it in the second-half and were close to a second when Mahoney’s low shot flew just wide and Fletcher, in search of his second, was denied by Lawlor.
There was another late chance but Lawlor saved a flick from Scott Smith, who had got to a cross from substitute Tom Barkhuizen.
The win pushed Crewe to within three points of the play-offs.
