Welling United 3 Chelmsford City 2 play-off semi-final reaction from Welling manager Steve King
09:20, 06 May 2019
updated: 09:25, 06 May 2019
Welling boss Steve King is hoping it will be third time lucky in the National League South play-offs.
King reached a play-off final for the third time in his career on Sunday – and now takes his team to Woking for the final next Sunday.
But the Wings boss insisted that he doesn’t enjoy the emotions that the play-offs put you through.
“I don’t enjoy play-offs,” said King, after their last-gasp 3-2 victory over Chelmsford. “I’ve been in six of them in this league.
“You are so wrapped up in the game and so emotional. Every emotion goes through you but I’d rather be in them than not in them.
“As a manager, you don’t enjoy play-offs. That’s my sixth one and they don’t get any easier.
“I’m an old hat in this division but they don’t get any easier.
“I’m hoping it will be third time lucky in a play-off final for me because I’ve been there twice before and lost.”
King expected match-winner Brendan Kiernan to put his stoppage-time penalty in the opposite corner.
But he was pleased that it meant that keeper Dan Wilks’ late howler – which gifted Chelmsford an equaliser – did not determine the outcome.
“I wasn’t confident with Brendan taking it,” added King. “I thought he was going the other way as he puts them there in training but he obviously changed his mind.
“It seemed like it took forever for him to take it as well, and the keeper got a hand to it.
“I’m upset for Dan as well because it is a great strike and he tried to push it over the bar.
“Dan has been big for us this year, he’s kept us in games and made some fantastic saves. I didn’t want it to end like that for him.”
Welling now travel to Woking – a team that also knocked the Wings out of the FA Cup this season.
The teams met in the league at Park View Road in March when Welling let slip a 3-1 lead to draw 3-3.
But the prize of promotion now outweighs any thoughts King has about revenge.
“It’s not about owing them one, it’s about going there and trying to do the job,” stated King.
“We haven’t beaten them this season and we’ve felt a bit hard done by a couple of times when we’ve played.
“We should have beaten them recently but that’s going to count for nothing.
“It’s on the day, we can’t ask for anymore. There’s one game now between this level and the next level.”
