The tannoy announcer said Stanley boss John Coleman was substituting Andy Procter for Craig Lindfield in the 88th minute.
Luckily it was just a Stevenage mix-up as Coleman needed his skipper on the pitch to score the last-ditch equaliser.
It was described in one national newspaper as a ‘20-yard strike’ but wasn’t quite so spectacular with it somehow squeezing through a number of bodies and into the bottom of the goal in the final minute– but they all count.
And it was a turning of tables for the Reds who have become more used to throwing away two-goal leads but, after getting that sinking feeling too many times as the opposition has launched late fightbacks, Coleman got that delight of a draw feeling like win.
And the late double extended Stanley’s run to three games unbeaten on their travels – and could help to turn around the season as they looked like they were drifting to a defeat and anxious glances over their shoulders.
OK, a point didn’t do a lot for either side in their promotion chase, but it was a good result for the Reds when they looked down and out with two minutes left.
"This side has got a great deal of character, a great sense of fun and they enjoy playing football and never give up," said Coleman. "Maybe Accrington teams of the past may have accepted defeat but this team will not accept defeat and kept going until the end.
"I know how their boss Graham Westley will be feeling as I have been there when you think the three points are in the bag but it has happened to us enough in the past.
"I still think we are drawing too many games – that’s 11 – and if we could have turned half of those into wins we would have been right in the mix so that’s a bit frustrating.
"But this is another difficult place to come and that’s another one out the way."
It had looked bleak for the Reds as, despite Broadhall Way now becoming the Lamex Stadium and Stevenage Borough now Stevenage FC, Stanley’s luck in Hertfordshire didn’t look like it had changed.
The Reds had never taken a point there in their three previous visits in non- league and they were always playing catch-up after a seventh minute Byron Harrison goal – a superb effort from the striker who got in front of the Reds defence from a long ball forward, let it bounce once and walloped it into the top corner of the net.
Twelve minutes from time it looked like Boro had sealed the points when their lively winger Lawrie Wilson beat the off-side trap, after a neat one-two with Chris Beardsley, and finished well.
Stevenage leapt on two Stanley lapses at the back but the Reds also hadn’t found their shooting boots at the other end.
That was until two minutes from time when Terry Gornell set up a grandstand finale.
From nothing, the striker got the ball at the edge of the area and fired it home – although it did take a deflection – to hit the inside of the post and roll over the line for his 10th goal of the season.
The momentum was then in Stanley’s favour and Coleman gambled going three up front with the introduction of Lindfield and Rory Boulding.
And it seemed unbelievable when a corner landed at the feet of Boulding with his back to goal. He passed it to Procter on the edge of the area who hit the ball goalwards through a crowd of players and it sneaked into the bottom of Chris Day’s goal.
The Reds skipper ran half the length of the pitch towards Coleman and ended up celebrating in front of the home dug-out which, while it didn’t go down well, showed the relief of the Reds camp.
"I didn’t know it had gone in, to be honest, I thought it was wide," said Coleman. "When Proc came running up to us I thought ‘he doesn’t usually celebrate a corner like that!’"
But the Reds boss could afford to laugh after the late, late show.
It wasn’t the best of performances for the Reds although the wind made sure neither side could be at their peak.
Midfielder Ian Craney was lively in his third ‘full-time’ debut for the Stanley while Gornell came up against a powerful backline of ex-Red Mark Roberts and Jon Ashton but finally shook them off to grab a deserved goal.
Ray Putterill once again made an impact off the bench while Coleman’s decision to put on Lindfield and go three up front in the final minutes of the match paid dividends.
The Reds found Boro’s in-form striker Harrison a handful – he took his tally to three goals in two games – but did snuff out the threat of £100,000 record signing Craig Reid on his debut.
Ex-Chester wideman Wilson was also a danger for the home side in a clash which could have gone either way.
But Steven-age boss Westley, despite his late disappiontment, was in agreement that the Reds deserved something from the clash.
He said: "I am not proud that we threw away a two-goal lead and it’s not something we do as a rule but I think, over 90 minutes, the score was the right one."
