Chelmsford City goal hero Anthony Cook insists he never had any doubts about his ability to score the crucial penalty in the play-off semi-final first-leg win over Salisbury City.
Cook, who missed a spot-kick against Maidenhead last week before making amends with a second, confidently grabbed the ball and fired a great penalty into the bottom right-hand corner with just two minutes left.
Manager Glenn Pennyfather told the Chronicle after the game that the only way the winger would have given up the ball for the spot-kick would have been if his team-mates had "pinned him down and broken both of his arms".
But Cook, 23, insisted even that wouldn't have been enough to prevent him from taking the kick.
He said: "I still would have taken it even if they'd done that to be honest! I felt confident in myself, I love pressure. I've been at this club for a long time and I owe a lot to club so it's nice to repay it.
"I picked it up as soon as the referee pointed at the spot. Slabber's off the pitch, Rainford's off the pitch so it's me!
"The power's beaten him, he's gone the right way but it's gone in, we've got a 1-0 lead and it's given us great confidence going in to the second leg."
It was an absorbing encounter between the teams who finished second and fifth in the regular standings, and it's all to play for on Saturday when the Clarets travel to Wiltshire for the second leg.
And Cook added: "It's a two-legged game, it's only the first half. I wouldn't say there's more pressure on either side.
"We need to go there and do our job otherwise we're going to get beat. It's the best of whoever's in this league and anyone can beat anyone.
"Everyone's going to need to be on their game, but we've got that 1-0 advantage. We'll take that into the second leg."
A crowd of 1,248 were in attendance at Melbourne Park and Cook was thankful for their support – and hopes to see many Chelmsford fans making the trip to Salisbury on Saturday.
"The fans were brilliant," he added. "If they can come and support us on Saturday it would give us a lot. We're going to give our all.
"We've kept a clean sheet today and we've scored and we're going to go into the second leg very positive about the outcome."
