JOHN Coleman joked that Paul Cook lost a couple of follicles when his late bullet header almost fired Accrington Stanley into the FA Cup fourth round.

But the Reds manager was pulling his own hair out after seeing his side squander a host of chances for the second successive game.

Coleman couldn't hide his disappointment that Stanley had failed to make outright progress in the competition in front of a record crowd. He knew his side had enjoyed enough possession and chances to comfortably earn their third scalp so far.

Yet the jovial Scouser still found it in himself to crack a gag in the post-match analysis with a large press throng.

Referring to Cook's late effort, which saw the veteran midfielder's powerful header superbly saved by Simon Brown at point-blank range, Coleman said: "He headed that ball and ran the risk of losing three more hairs off his forehead! He hasn't got many now.

"It would have been a fairytale if that had gone in but he couldn't have headed it any better. On another day it bends the keeper's hands back and goes in but he made a magnificent save."

Former Burnley and Tranmere ace Cook wasn't the only one to give Brown a few scares.

Paul Mullin, who netted at Bournemouth in the last round, had a looping header kept out by the former Tottenham Hotspur stopper, while Lutel James was looking increasingly lively in and around the box and was unlucky to see a shot drift just wide, have one deflected and then hit the woodwork.

In terms of scoring opportunities it was almost like Groundhog Day for Stanley.

On New Year's Day at Morecambe they had squandered plenty and, on Saturday, as the first half progressed, more chances went by the wayside.

But against Second Division high fliers Colchester the Reds would have been encouraged that they were creating so much.

And their fearless approach certainly seemed to inspire Coleman's men in the second half, while Jamie Speare - who had seen Karl Duguid hit the base of the post then made a brave stop at Craig Fagan's feet before denying the on-loan Birmingham striker with a save - was having quiet spells for longer periods.

Steve Flitcroft, who had replaced an injured Andy Gouck towards the end of the first period, started to get to grips with the game and was only inches away from handing Stanley the lead on 51 minutes.

Mullin and James had shots charged down while livewire winger Rory Prendergast kept the ball alive in the box for Flitcroft to apply the finishing touch.

Had his effort been slightly higher, the midfielder would have surely buried it. But the ball struck Brown's legs, bounced out and Colchester cleared the danger.

James then raced onto a long ball over the top of the defence, chipped the goalkeeper but could only look on in frustration as the ball rebounded off the post.

The introduction of Dean Calcutt, replacing Andy Procter who had defied a first-half injury for as long as possible, gave the Reds a new dimension as James pushed on up front to support Mullin.

And wide man Calcutt, who is awaiting an operation on a double hernia, had an immediate impact thanks to his pace on the right and deliveries into the box, the first of which set up James, but he stabbed his effort wide.

Calcutt and fellow Yorkshireman Prendergast always complement each on opposite flanks so Mullin and James had ample supply from either side, with Prendergast being able to beat fullback Sam Stockley almost at will. They even showed they were capable of creating chances for each other.

After James slipped the ball to Calcutt on the right, the wide man whipped a cross into the centre for Prendergast at the far post.

And in scenes reminiscent of James' miss on New Year's Day, Prendergast couldn't force the ball over the line from close range either, with Brown somehow managing to keep the ball out.

After Stanley won three successive corners to no avail, Colchester had their fair share of misfortune in the latter stages too.

With Speare rooted, Scott McGleish hit the post with a glancing header from subsitute Joseph Keith's cross.

But the Reds ended the game with the upper hand and, after Mullin had sent a header just over the bar, Cook somehow had his late bullet blocked by Brown.

While Stanley will be contemplating what might have been, they can take a lot of heart and confidence from the fact they have conceded only one goal in four encounters with League opposition.

The FA Cup may be magic, but a statistic like that isn't.

STANLEY 0

COLCHESTER 0

Interlink Express Stadium Att 4,368