CHRIS Forino flashed a toothy smile for the cameras after his memorable winner against Wigan Athletic – but he won’t be chewing over the success for a few days yet.
The Wanderers defender had to play with a special mouthguard on Tuesday night after a bad collision during the game against Blackpool a few days earlier left him needing emergency dental work.
Forino struck in the 92nd minute to give the Whites their first victory over their local rivals in a decade and sprinted the length of the pitch to celebrate in front of 4,800 travelling fans in the away end.
It was only after the final whistle that details of his nasty weekend injury surfaced – but the former Wycombe man said he never thought twice about whether to start the game.
“The result makes the pain a lot better,” he smiled. “It’s not good this because my mum’s going to know about this, and I didn’t tell her!
“I got patched up and played with the mouthguard but it’s two weeks of soft food for me now. No steak to celebrate.
“I wanted to make myself available and thankfully I was selected so I got to enjoy this moment with the supporters, it was special. And my teeth are still intact!”
Wanderers had struggled to create clear-cut chances all night at Wigan in a game that rarely sparkled with quality football. His celebration – which involved the whole team running the length of the field back towards their own supporters – was pure instinct.
“It was just euphoria, really,” he said. “I mean, it was late on in the game. It was a very, very long run to get to the away end. I crossed the halfway line and I was like: ‘I'm actually only halfway… I'm not sure if I'm going to make it!.
“But it was really nice to see it go in. Like I said, it's for the fans.
“They were here long before I was here and they will be here long after I go. And a football club without fans is nothing. So, I know how much it means to them.”
As a spectacle, the game might not have been one for the ages but Forino was happy to come out on the right side of the result, and with three points that puts Steven Schumacher’s side back into the top six in the table.
“It was frenetic, a proper derby game, is how I’d describe it,” he said.
“It's not the best football we're going to play all season, but we've done what was necessary to stay in the game and grab a late winner.
“I said it pre-match before Blackpool, how much the fans’ backing means to us as players. And I don't think sometimes they realise how important their role is.
“And they were absolutely fantastic tonight. Even after some disappointing results, we knew we had to dust ourselves off quickly and be ready again.
“The scenes at the end were nice. I think it was a bit of relief after Saturday and the previous two, before the international break.
“It was good to share that moment with the fans. Of course, I've only been here this season, but I know how much it means. We all know how much it means to them to come here and win.”
