Ed Williams was the hero not once, but twice, as Gloucester City kept their promotion dreams alive in thrilling fashion.

The box-to-box midfielder scored a standout goal to make it 2-2 at Walton & Hersham last night and then scored the decisive goal in the penalty shootout which Gloucester won 5-3.

Mike Cook's men will now travel to play AFC Totton on Bank Holiday Monday (3pm) in the Southern League’s Premier Division South play-off final for a place in National League North or South next season, and after last night’s success they will certainly head to Hampshire in good spirits.

But they had to dig really deep against Walton & Hersham after finding themselves 2-0 down after just 12 minutes.

Joe Hanks, who, like Williams, came through the academy at Cheltenham Town, pulled a goal back in the 21^st minute but it was another 50 minutes before Gloucester got back on level terms.

And some goal it was too, as Williams picked the ball up on the left 10 yards inside the Walton & Hersham half before driving forward and unleashing a low right-footed drive from 25 yards into the far corner.

That took the game into extra time but when the additional 30 minutes failed to separate the two teams, Williams took centre stage again.

“The standard of penalties was so good,” said Williams. “All our boys slotted, they were finding the corners.”

Brandon Smalley, Elis Watts, Liam Cross and Harry Pinchard converted Gloucester’s first four penalties and after Wayne Ridgley had fired wide for the home side, Williams stepped up.

“I hit it top left, I reversed it,” said Williams, who played for Doncaster Rovers in the Football League.

That goal sparked huge celebrations and Williams added: “What a night, it’s right up there for me.

“It was a great game, to come from two down shows real character and determination, it was so good.

“Getting the goal in the second half was special but Joe Hanks’ goal was just as important.”

Williams, though, rightly grabbed the headlines and he deserves them all the more after overcoming some demons to slot that decisive spot-kick.

“I missed a penalty in a shootout earlier in the season,” he said. “I nominated myself to take one last night, I needed to redeem myself.”

He certainly did that and now all eyes are on AFC Totton, who last night beat visitors Dorchester Town 4-3 in a remarkable game that saw four goals in injury time, three of them to the home side.

“We’ve still got work to do,” added Williams. “I think it will be a very different game at Totton to last night, it will be a bit more direct.”

Totton finished the season in second place in Premier Division South, 11 points and two places above Gloucester.

The two teams drew 1-1 at Totton in October – Smalley got Gloucester’s  goal – and the return game at the start of February ended 0-0.

Meanwhile, Bishop’s Cleeve were beaten 3-2 by Malvern Town in front of a crowd of 1,140 at Kayte Lane last night in a Division One South promotion play-off semi-final.