This time the ball lofted by King from near the left side of the First Assembly penalty area was headed into the net by Cross in the fourth overtime period.
The dramatic golden goal put the O'Neal girls' soccer team into Saturday's NCISAA 2-A state championship match against Calvary Baptist at Fayetteville Academy.
The goal saved the Falcons from having to go through the agony of deciding a match on penalty kicks for the second time this week. They defeated Cannon School 3-2 by that route in a quarterfinal match on Tuesday.
King scored the other two Falcon goals in the first of Friday's semifinal matches also held at Fayetteville Academy. Calvary Baptist defeated Westchester Academy 4-0 in the second game.
Afterward, O'Neal Coach Kyle Kegl went from player to player good-naturedly telling them he hated them.
"I usually tell them before the game that I love them," the coach said. "If the game goes the way it's supposed to go, I still love them. But when they put me through that kind of emotional roller coaster, I hate 'em -- I hate 'em."
The Falcon coach thought the end could have come a lot sooner for First Assembly (17-3-2) if his players had switched fields in their attack more often. As it was, they enjoyed a big advantage in time of possession on the gusty afternoon.
A threat on the counterattack throughout, the Eagles went against the wind to score first. In the 12th minute, Laura Wilson crossed a ball to an unmarked Jessica Gulley, who put it in the net.
About a minute later, Falcon sweeper Caroline Cordell rocketed a direct kick from the right edge of the Eagle penalty area off the top bar of the goal. It was one of 22 free kicks, along with 11 corner kicks, that the sophomore delivered in the match.
"You could tell toward the end of the game her kicks weren't going as far," Kegl said. "Her leg is probably tired."
Midway through the half, Cordell lofted a longer free kick from the other side that Cross flicked on to King near the far post for the kick that tied the match at 1-1.
With the wind in her face, O'Neal goalkeeper Nicole Poteat survived about a four-minute siege at the outset of the second half. But then the match turned the Falcons' way again.
In the 62nd minute, Cate Dahl raced down the right side with the ball before sending a cross toward King at the top of the Eagle penalty circle. King controlled the ball with her first touch, turned, and scored with her left foot, making it 2-1.
First Assembly was also dangerous with the corner kicks of Gulley and the direct kicks of Haley Doolittle. The Eagles tied the match about three minutes later when an unmarked Laura Wilson headed home a Gulley corner kick.
The two teams went another 16 minutes of regulation and 28 minutes of overtime before Cross headed the ball out of the reach of First Assembly goalkeeper Allie Baumgartner.
"It was so frustrating not being able to finish our shots," Cross said. "They were one of the more talented teams we've played so far."
If not so pleased with his team's execution of the game plan, Kegl liked his players' determination.
"When it comes down to it," he said, "that game was about heart. I think we wanted it more and persevered more."
O'Neal (16-1) finished with a 23-18 edge in shots. Saturday's match was an All-Triad Athletic Conference final. The Falcons defeated Calvary Baptist twice while claiming the conference title.
