Shortly after Callum Doyle was shown a straight red card for a challenge on Siriki Dembele, Wrexham fans sensed the momentum could swiftly shift as they clung on to their 1-0 lead against Oxford United on Wednesday.
The tension rose as The U's enjoyed more possession and pegged the hosts back at the Stok Cae Ras.
And yet, during regular intervals of what was a nerve-shredding final 25 minutes or so for the home supporters in north Wales, fans made their voices heard in a bid to help drag their troops over the line.
In truth, it was actually Wrexham who created the better opportunities to score the game's second goal after Wales international Nathan Broadhhead put the home side ahead in the 14th minute with what was his fourth goal of the campaign for club and country.
Substitute Sam Smith had three opportunities alone, the first of which produced a sublime save from Oxford goalkeeper Jamie Cumming - who in the first half had spared Cameron Brannagan's blushes by conceding an indirect free-kick in his own box by handling the midfielder's overhit backpass.
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But there was still a strong sense of relief as the full-time whistle was eventually blown to signal that Wrexham had claimed their first home Championship win of the season.
In the aftermath of the contest, Phil Parkinson cited his love for Wrexham's ability to combine quality with an ability to do the "horrible" sides of the game well to ensure they brought an end to their four-game run without a win.
And the triumph - Wrexham's third in 11 league games this season - lifted the Red Dragons to a healthy 15th place in the table, albeit with tough looking matches against current top two Middlesbrough and Coventry City to come across the next week either side of Tuesday's mouth-watering EFL Cup fourth round clash with Cardiff City.
Following a hefty squad overhaul that saw a total of 13 players join the club during the summer transfer window, the opening stages of the season were always going to be challenging - particularly on the back of their rapid rise from the National League.
But Parkinson remains confident that his new-look squad can continue to make the necessary tweaks to build on their encouraging start.
"When we played Birmingham, I felt if we'd got the three points that night I would have been pleased, I felt we were two points short of where we need to be in terms of factoring everything in and changing things around," he said when assessing the season so far.
"I think we're competitive at the level, we know that.
"We've created a lot of clear cut chances in the division, so we know we can do that. The aim now is to be more clinical when those moments come.
"In the moments, we know we can get better, the tactical input, the lads are taking it on board.
"I'm enjoying working with the group and getting to know them. They're a good set of lads and they care a lot."
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Parkinson answered multiple post-match questions in total darkness in the club's media room at the Stok Cae Ras after a second power cut of the night led to all lighting going off.
But it was evident that, on a night where his side were rock solid defensively and offered plenty of attacking threat, the light at the end of Wrexham's Championship tunnel can continue to get brighter as the months progress.
Nathan Broadhead's influence is growing while Liberato Cacace looks like he will be a real asset on Wrexham's left flank after the beginning of his career with the club was disrupted by injuries.
Sam Smith and Josh Windass - who have been in and out so far for varying reasons - will continue to play pivotal roles too while players such as Ollie Rathbone are still to come back from injury to further bolster Parkinson's options.
The coming weeks will certainly be testing, but Wrexham have already shown there is more than enough in the tank for this season to be key in building towards their long-term aim of reaching the Premier League.
