Mick Wadsworth was within seconds of suffering his first taste of defeat as Colchester United's manager until injury-time ice man David Gregory stepped up to save his boss's blushes.

Relegation-threatened Wycombe were deservedly racing to only their second win in ten matches with almost nine minutes of time added on gone when "Mr Freeze" - without a nerve in his body - coolly blotted out the tension, drama and pandemonium to place a life-saving penalty past diving keeper Martin Taylor.

Taylor had seconds before been booked for tripping Gregory's younger brother Neil in the box as he latched on to a great ball from Warren Aspinall after substitute Paul Buckle had brilliantly set up the move having battled to win the ball by a corner flag in the U's territory.

It was leading scorer Gregory's 12th goal of the season and his seventh from eight spot kicks and he is clearly making a habit of netting late penalties.

Gregory hit the last-minute winner from the spot when the two teams met at Layer Road last September and it was he who netted the injury-time leveller at Bristol Rovers five weeks ago - Wadsworth's first game in charge.

The versatile Gregory's latest strike stretched the U's undefeated run to seven matches - six of them since the wily Wadsworth arrived at Layer Road.

Younger brother Neil looked to have given the U's the perfect start with a well-taken goal from Bradley Allen's astutely-struck pass with only four minutes gone, but Gregory's acutely-angled effort was questionably ruled out for offside.

Classy Colchester totally dominated the early stages of the game and it was no surprise when they did take the lead on 19 minutes via Jason Dozzell.

Aspinall swung over the U's fifth corner, big Stephane Pounewatchy flicked the ball on for Dozzell at the near post to send a powerful header past Taylor as he rushed off his line.

Allen had the ball in the net again three minutes later only be be pulled back for handball.

Little had been seen of Wycombe up to that point, but only a fantastic reflex save by keeper Carl Emberson from a Keith Scott point-blank header 25 minutes in kept the visitors' lead intact.

Emberson beat down another rocket shot from Scott on the half hour and only a brilliant goal-line save by Simon Betts four minutes before the break prevented Keith Ryan from netting an equaliser.

Andy Baird did force the ball into the net on the stroke of half time and although that goal was ruled out for offside the writing was already on the wall for the U's in the second half.

Colchester just could not get their game together on the resumption and after the unmarked Scott sent a free header wide, the U's old Conference rivals finally bagged the equaliser just before the hour that their pressure deserved.

Jermaine McSporran latched on to a long ball and smashed a shot against U's defender Joe Dunne. The ball ran loose across the area and Baird fired past the isolated Emberson from 12 yards.

The second-from-bottom Buckinghamshire outfit continued to call the tune and after Geraint Williams had a breakaway shot charged down, it was no surprise when the home side moved ahead on 75 minutes with a second goal their spirited play deserved.

Dave Carroll swung a free kick into the U's box where Scott swept a first-time shot past Emberson from 12 yards.

The goal finally stung the U's into action and as the tempo hotted up, polished defender Aaron Skelton was stretchered off with an ankle injury on 80 minutes - hence the nine minutes of injury time.

Lively substitute Paul Abrahams fired a shot across the face of goal and David Gregory sent a header wide.

But just when it looked all over for the U's up stepped the reliable Gregory to save a point at the death.

That is, of course, if the Football Association don't find some fictitious reason to hand the spoils to Wycombe.

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