Tooting & Mitcham assistant George Wakeling blamed kamikaze defending for a remarkable 13-goal thriller which saw his side triumph 7-6 at rivals Dulwich Hamlet on Tuesday night.
Goals from Jamie Findlay (two), Matt York (two), Simon Mitchell, Paul Vines and an extra-time winner from Henry Darko eventually put the Terrors into the first qualifying round of the FA Trophy.
But Wakeling was left counting the cost as Vernon Francis and Findlay hobbled off with injuries and Allan MacLeod saw red, leaving the Terrors to come from behind with 10 men to record a famous win.
"The goals we let in were poor and we kept them in the game by making basic mistakes," said Wakeling after the heart-stopping encounter.
"We have only let in a couple of goals in the league so far, so it goes to show how attacking the two sides were. I was delighted then frustrated, delighted then frustrated all night because that was how the goals went in.
"But hats off to the lads to come from behind with 10 men. I'm not sure I enjoyed it that much, but everyone else seemed to."
The teams finished all square at 2-2 at Imperial Fields on Saturday to set up the replay and Findlay's opener after two minutes at Champion Hill was a sign of things to come.
MacLeod was sent off for a second yellow card on 84 minutes with the scores level at 4-4 and York thought he had scored the winner with three minutes remaining, before Daniel Jones' last-minute strike forced extra-time.
Jones then gave Dulwich the lead for the first time in the match on 103 minutes, but Vines replied and Darko then profited from a deflected Adam Broomhead shot to net a dramatic winner with eight minutes remaining.
Tooting travel to Molesey on Friday the 13th hoping their good luck will continue.
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