MIDFIELD maestro Paul Cook thought he had done enough to fire Accrington Stanley into the FA Cup fourth round.
The 36-year-old, who signed for the Reds following his release from Burnley in the summer, capped an outstanding display with a bullet header worthy of a winner.
But somehow Colchester stopper Simon Brown managed to palm it out.
"I headed it so cleanly and you're just waiting for it to go in," Cook said.
"But, to be fair to their goalkeeper, he did well and made some great saves all afternoon.
"But we're happy. We played really well and did ourselves justice, which is a major thing.
"We'll go down to Colchester and have a good go, and we're still in the fourth round which, for a part-time side like ourselves is phenomenal.
"Everyone of us is proud to be part of the club."
But Cook admitted that he wished the draw wasn't being made until after next Tuesday's replay at Layer Road.
"You don't want to get a glamorous tie because it makes you look ahead," he said.
"We're disappointed not to get through but it puts our club on the map again. Everyone's talking about us, which is great for us and for the Conference.
"But we can't look any further than Colchester at this stage, that's for certain."
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article