Southend defender Gus Scott-Morriss was left with a headache after booking them a place at Wembley, but not because of the celebration champagne.
In fact, the full-back ended up with a supporter’s knee in his head during a painful slip-up.
Southend will compete for a spot back in the Football League against Oldham on June 1, with Scott-Morriss’ winning penalty in a shoot-out against Forest Green clinching that spot.
He reeled off in celebration at Rovers’ New Lawn stadium to where the away fans were waiting pitchside, and as he slid onto his backside to celebrate, an on rushing supporter did the same.
Rather painfully, that fan’s knee went straight in the side of Scott-Morriss’ head as he clutched it in pain while being mobbed by pitch invading fans.
Thankfully, the Shrimpers star was okay, and he later tweeted about the moment in amusing fashion.
“Who the f*** kneed me in the head,” he wrote, followed by plenty of laughter.
Reposting a clip of the incident, he then added: “F****** get in there, half a head though f*** me.”
Scott-Morriss’ winning spot-kick came after a 2-2 thriller between his side which finished seventh in the National League as opposed to Forest Green’s third.
Only one team from the National League goes up automatically to the professional EFL, and that will be Barnet this season.
Southend finished a whole 34 points off of the league champions in the final play-off berth, and will now look to complete the job against Oldham.
A return to the top four tiers would be their first since their 2021 relegation which spelt huge trouble for the Essex side.
Southend were as high as the Championship in 2007 after back-to-back promotions, but soon headed back to League Two before financial issues struck in 2019.
Players and employees reported unpaid wages before the COVID-19 pandemic further worsened matters at the start of 2020.
Back-to-back relegations in 2020 and 2021 sent the Shrimpers down to the National League, where they remained until this season’s potential salvation.
Property developer Ron Martin had been owner and club chairman since 2000, but debts of up to £17.4million were reported in late 2019 leading to multiple winding up orders and a drawn-out sale procedure.
Now in a better place financially, promotion would be a huge achievement for the 199-year-old side ahead of their second centenary next year.
