Horsham play-off hero Merchant: 'Someone upstairs must have wanted me to play'

The defender became the unlikely saviour for the Hornets when he headed home Joey Taylor’s free-kick in the second-half of extra-time to seal Horsham’s promotion to the Bostik Premier Division.

Merchant was the Hornet’s only injury concern going into the game, and the defender revealed he was incredibly close to not making the matchday squad.

Horsham’s hero also joked that he was ‘wound up’ with boss Dominic Di Paola for letting Ashford know that he may not be in the best condition for the Hornet’s crunch game.

Merchant said: “I’ve been playing on one hip. A lot of people knew I strained my hip in the last game of the season against Guernsey so I couldn’t play Monday (in the play-off semi-final).

“I’ve been resting for two weeks, praying that it would get better and it’s come good.

SEE ALSO They are going up - Horsham promoted as Merchant goal clinches play-off final victory against Ashford United | 'Incredible, unbelievable, phenomenal, emotional' - Horsham boss Di Paola on play-off victory and promotion | Here is Horsham’s historic Bostik League play-off victory and promotion in pictures“I was a bit wound up with him (Di Paola) actually. I thought if I do actually play now then Ashford’s manager is going to be thinking, ‘right they’ve got an injured player’ and they’re just going to keep coming after me.

“I came out (from a fitness test) at about 6pm. I really didn’t know if I could play because I’d been really struggling.

“Someone upstairs must have wanted me to play.”

Di Paola added: “We did set-piece the night before the game and Dylan was unbelievable from them.

We worked on it and talked about the fine margins in these games and that it might get one from a set-piece, it’s proved to be the case.

“I am really pleased for him. He had a fitness test before the game and we gambled on him playing. He will probably be in pain for weeks now, but no-one wanted to come off out there.”