Cardiff Rugby were denied victory in cruel circumstances as a late, late try saw them held to a draw away to Zebre.
Matt Sherratt's team were heading for the win as the clock went red at the end of the second half, but a try from replacement Leonard Krumov five minutes into stoppage time was coolly converted by Geronimo Prisciantelli as the game finished 22-22 in northern Italy.
Zebre came into the game off the back of a monumental win over the struggling Sharks, a result which ended a miserable 28-game losing run. With their eyes on another victory, they started brightly but it was Cardiff who got on the scoreboard first as centre Ben Thomas - one of five players returning to the starting lineup - crashed over after 10 minutes.
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On a night that saw the hosts throw away 11 points from the tee, Prisciantelli missed two penalties before scrum-half Alessandro Fusco was sent to the sin-bin after a dangerous tackle on Mason Grady. Cardiff failed to make their man advantage count, however, and poor discipline let Zebre back into the game courtesy of Franco Smith.
Smith's centre partner Luca Morisi grabbed a second try for his side shortly after as the home crowd began to believe that another win was on the cards.
But Sherratt's side were by no means out of the contest and after Wales internationals Corey Domachowski and Thomas Young were sent on early in the second half, Cardiff began to control the game and soon got their reward as Lopeti Timani bundled over from close range, with Tinus De Beer adding the extras.
Despite his earlier misses, Prisciantelli found his form from the tee at the right time, putting his team back in front as the contest entered the final 20 minutes before De Beer struck again to make it 17-15 and set up a tense finale.
Cardiff would have been forgiven for thinking they had secured the win when Grady finished off a stunning counter-attack after being assisted by Willis Halaholo. But Zebre simply didn't give up and earned themselves a draw as the visiting defence's resistance finally gave way and Krumov crashed over.
Sherratt's side have just one win from their opening five URC games and will be looking to finally get back to winning ways when they host the Stormers at Cardiff Arms Park next weekend, before they face the Scarlets at the start of next month.
