DEFENDERS Phil Edwards and Michael Welch admitted they were relieved men during Accrington Stanley's gutsy show at Wycombe.
Edwards and Welch revealed they had both feared the worst after their individual tackles on Wycombe's tricky striker Kevin Betsy.
The disciplinary record of the Reds is one of the worst in League Two and right back Edwards said his heart was in his mouth after a high tackle on the frontman, and injured Welch was almost panic-stricken after his challenge on Betsy, who had burst through on goal.
"I saw the referee take his cards out of his pocket and I could only see red. I panicked for a second until I saw the yellow behind it," said a relieved Welch, with Stanley on seven red cards and 56 yellows for the League Two campaign, before the clash at Adams Park.
"I was worried," admitted Edwards with the 5,800 home fans baying for their blood late on.
Instead, both survived with only a booking each - the right decision - and they helped the defence, so often under scrutiny this season, keep out Wycombe's fleet-footed attack for large periods of the game in what was a huge draw at the home of the Carling Cup semi-finalists.
Boss John Coleman was first to admit that the Chairboys may have had their eyes on Tuesday's last four second-leg tie at Chelsea but a point is a point - and that would do for the relegation-haunted Reds who jumped up another place to 18th.
"You would expect them to be looking to Chelsea but it was a battling performance and we are glad to get a point," said the Reds chief.
"Wycombe are a very good side and will win more than they lose here. They are on a crest of a wave after their 1-1 draw here against Chelsea in the first leg and they are full of pace all over the park.
"They are difficult to stop and it took a manful performance by our defence."
The back line won't be used to having praise ringing in their ears after some defensive blunders had led Coleman to threaten to ring the changes.
But, against what is a strong and quick forward line, the backline stuck to their task.
Edwards had a solid show, throwing his body in front of everything; Welch battled with an ankle injury against the lively Betsy; Williams kept hot-shot Jermaine Easter largely by his side and Leam Richardson did his job against skilful winger Chris Palmer.
The Wycombe attackers did get into some decent positions - as you would expect for a team chasing promotion - but then keeper Rob Elliot had a day to remember in goal with a number of stunning saves.
The Reds were caught out once on 56 minutes - Betsy sprung forward and set up Palmer, who had a shot saved by Elliot's feet.
Unluckily for Stanley it bounced up nicely for Betsy - who had carried on running - and he had the easy chance to head into an empty net.
And, Wanderers tried to catch them out again a couple of minutes later with Man of the Match Betsy bursting through alone again, Elliot came out to challenge him at the edge of the area, but Edwards made a goal-saving tackle to keep it at 1-0.
"That was the turning point," said Coleman.
"If I was the Wycombe manager I would be cursing my luck for that because when you are 1-0 up you need to kill the game off and that was a golden opportunity to make it 2-0."
Instead, two minutes later, the Reds - who had beaten Wycombe at the FES with a last minute Andy Mangan goal - were back all-square.
Rommy Boco, on the right wing, found Paul Mullin who played in a brilliant cross.
Sub Chris McGrail, on loan from Preston, had a shot from six yards out with keeper Ricardo Batista and the defence throwing themselves in front of it to block the ball.
But it bounced nicely out to midfielder Jay Harris to lash home his first goal for Stanley.
"Jay is a fantastic prospect and he is getting better every week," said Coleman, of the former Everton trainee who gives his all every game.
"His energy, his work rate and his enthusiasm are second to none. I was delighted he got his goal.
"Maybe he can curb his little bit of aggression and channel it in the right way and then he is going to be a very good player.
"We showed some gutsy performances but Jay probably capped off a Man of the Match performance with his finish."
Coleman had said he expected something out of the game but surprisingly changed the line-up from the one which beat Mansfield the Tuesday before, bringing back Andy Procter, pushing Boco up front and dropping striker David Brown to the bench.
The swirling wind made it difficult for both sides with Elliot's kicks sometimes wayward and back-passes a no-no on a day when the ball could have gone anywhere.
And, Wycombe came out the stronger with Palmer and Ikechi Anya on the flanks running the early stages.
However, the best early chance, on 18 minutes, fell to Shaun Whalley after Boco unselfishly squared to him in the area and the winger curled his shot goalwards.
Batista was beaten but defender Scott Golbourne cleared off the line.
Midfielder Procter volleyed just over as he looked to break his season's duck but it was Elliot who was the busier keeper, pushing over one-handed a Golbourne floated ball in which was heading for the top corner.
Tall captain Mike Williamson had a header caught by Elliot while Easter turned and shot in the area with the Stanley goalie pulling off another stunner to deny him.
And, the Charlton loanee then had to block a Tommy Doherty strike with his legs while Easter, on the stroke of half-time, amazingly ballooned the ball over in a great position.
Wycombe had enjoyed more possession and fired in a series of free kicks and corners but Stanley's defence cleared their lines well and stood firm.
Welch then had his heart-stopping moment just after the re-start when he brought down Betsy with the crowd shouting he was the last man, but Williams was back covering and out came just the yellow.
The defender did leave the pitch soon after with a bad ankle and Andy Todd became the makeshift right back - a job he has had to do a few times this season.
Coleman must have been cursing his luck, though, with the Wycombe opener coming soon after the reshuffle.
But then Stanley bounced back in a frantic eight-minute spell and, after the home side had piled on the pressure early on, it was the Reds who looked the most likely to score.
Harris fired narrowly over the bar, Edwards had a free header from a Whalley corner but was off-target and midfielder Harris hit a low shot narrowly wide in the dying minutes.
The referee did give some strange decisions - for both sides - as the game got heated with Edwards being booked and Wycombe sub Fola Onibuje seemingly at the root of most of the incidents at the death.
But a draw was good enough - with Wycombe walking off to contemplate Chelsea and Stanley their break in Spain.
"I would love to be in Paul Lambert's shoes - well I wouldn't as I don't think they would fit," quipped Coleman.
"But I said to the players in there we are the same as Chelsea now. We could probably give them a game because they only drew 1-1 here."
Stanley, with four points out of the last six, are not worried about the Premiership though - it is League Two safety which is the priority and more games like this, should guarantee it.
