Could have won - should have lost - but in the end they were prevented from slipping up on another non-league banana skin by a herioc man-of-the-match goalkeeping display from Simon Brown.
That was the story of Colchester United's latest FA Cup fortunes as they rode their luck to share a nerve-tingling, third-round goalless draw in a historic first-ever tie with Nationwide Conference high-flyers Accrington Stanley at their jam-packed Crown Ground.
Despite spending large sections of this hiding to nothing tie on the back foot, Phil Parkinson's men twice came within the width of a goalpost of snatching a fourth-round berth for the first time in 15 years.
The game was only nine minutes old when Craig Fagan burst through the middle on a surging run. His pass was helped on by Scott McGleish to the onrushing Karl Duguid, whose left-foot shot rebounded to safety off keeper Jamie Speare's left-hand post.
It was a similar story nine minutes from the end when livewire Kemal Izzet finished off a great move on the left by crossing the ball into the penalty box where McGleish head swathed in bandages to protect an eye injury incurred in the previous match at Queens Park Rangers crashed a powerful header against the woodwork with the keeper well-beaten.
Only a timely goal-line clearance just before the break by Gavin Johnson prevented Prendergast from shooting the home side ahead and, clearly pumped up and ready to step up the action, Accrington hammered at the U's from the second-half kick-off enter Brown.
The big U's keeper reacted smartly to instinctively turn away a 51st-minute close-range drive from substitute Stephen Flitcroft with his legs after a Mullin shot had been blocked.
But Brown looked on with relief four minutes later when James fastened on to a long through ball only to see his rising shot cannon off the crossbar as the U's keeper raced off his line.
But the best of Brown was still to come with a truly fantastic save 60 seconds into time added on.
Kemal Izzet fouled James in a dangerous position by the right touchline and Mullin's brilliant header from Prendergast's ensuing free-kick looked a goal all the way until Brown instinctitively threw himself to his left to somehow push the ball away.
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Published Monday January 5, 2004
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