Worthing play-off goal hero Pearce: Cash was screaming at me but I had only one thought

There were just a couple of minutes left of what had been a gruelling test for the Rebels against Maidstone last Sunday when Joe Felix played Pearce in for a run at goal. After sidestepping the attentions of two defenders, he fired past the keeper to send the majority of the 2,858 crowd crazy and put Worthing one game from the National League Premier.

Pearce, talking to Worthing FC TV after the game, said: “I’m buzzing – what a great day. It was a difficult second half – we got penned it and found it quite hard to get out. We just needed that one chance to fall in the second half and luckily it did.

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"I thought I’d messed it up. The wind was so strong the ball got stuck a little bit behind me but I just got my head down and was only thinking one thing.

"I didn’t know how long was left. Cash (Danny Cashman) was screaming at me to square him the ball but I just had one thought – to go for goal – and it crept in the corner.”

Before that, Worthing had started the semi-final well before going off the boil and seeing the Stones control long parts of the second half.

Pearce said: "First half I thought we were really good. We had good 15-20 minute spells but second half, it was difficult. The wind was strong, the sun came out, I know that sounds like excuses, but it was hard to get out.

"They pressed us really well, credit to them, we did struggle to find the right pass and right movement, but I thought we defended brilliantly, we really hung on in there.

"Other than them hitting the bar just before we scored, I thought we kept them at bay. Ollie tipped one over the bar but we defended really well and in these play-off games you’re going to have to do that at times."

Pearce praised the man who played him in for the winner – Felix. “He was brilliant – his engine’s a joke. I feel like we have quite a good partnership on that right-hand side. He always seems to find the right pass. How Cash got man of the match and he didn’t I don’t know!”

Looking ahead to Monday’s final Pearce said: “It’s another big game and hopefully we can fill the stadium again. It makes a massive difference having the fans behind us here but they (Braintree) are a good side as well. Defensively they’re a very solid side and they got a great result against Chelmsford.

"So it’s a tough game but we’ll train this week and work hard and fingers crossed come out on the right end of it next Monday.”