Colchester staged a fine backs-to-the-wall performance to gain a hard-earned point against fellow strugglers Barnsley.
For 74 minutes Colchester played with only 10 men after the 16th-minute sending-off of central defender Danny Steele for a professional foul on Barnsley striker Bruce Dyer.
From that point on Barnsley dominated, but all their pressure could not produce the winning goal.
It was a combination of brilliant Colchester defending and some haphazard finishing.
Colchester keeper Simon Brown made three superb saves, twice denying the dangerous Dyer and then diving to keep out a point-blank shot from Chris Morgan.
Twice Barnsley had the ball in the net only for their efforts to be ruled out for offside.
Rory Fallon was certain he had scored in injury time, but the linesman's flag ruled otherwise.
Both the goals came in the opening 15 minutes.
Colchester took a suprise lead when Sam Stockley - on loan from Oxford - scored his first goal for the club with a precise finish after Kem Izzet had made the opening.
Five minutes later Dyer equalised with an immaculate volley into the bottom left-hand corner, and Steele's dismissal followed.
Colchester's deserved point took their unbeaten run to four games and keeps them out of the bottom four.
Colchester: Brown, Stockwell, Keith, White, Steele, Stockley, Izzet, Bowry, Pinault, McGleish, Rapley. Subs: Morgan, Richards, Odunsi, Baldwin, McKinney.
Barnsley: Marriott, Mulligan, Gibbs, O'Callaghan, Morgan, Betsy, Gorre, Lumsdon, Neil, Dyer, Fallon. Subs: Ward, Sheron, Ghent, Austin, Williams.
Referee: C Penton (Sussex)