Philadelphia Running Back Alan Thompson (22) is dropped for no gain by Chicago Fire linebacker Ron Porter has Chicago Defensive End Ken Sanduk (74) closes in during second quarter Wednesday night in Chicago. (AP Wirephoto)

The Chicago Fire's game plan of a persistent ground attack almost backfired against the Philadelphia Bell, until the World Football League's best passer went into action in the closing minutes Wednesday night.

Virgil Carter, the WFL's top aerial gunner, came out firing in the final three minutes to engineer an 80-yard scoring drive capped by an 11-yard touchdown shot to Jack Dolbin for a thrilling 32-39 victory over the Bell.

Up until Carter's big payoff flip, the Fire had running backs Cyril Pinder and Mark Kellar banging away at the Bell for 263 yards between them.

"We wanted to keep possession of the ball," explained Jim Spavital. "We wanted to keep their offensive team off the field because they are dangerious with their many types of plays." But it almost proved a costly strategy because Bell quarter-back King Corcoran rallied his team to a 29-25 lead midway in the fourth quarter on a 45-yard scoring pass to Claude Watts.

That's when Carter triggered what he tabbed a premature "two-minute drill" by hurling the Fire 80 yards in nine plays capped with a short shot to Dolbin for the decisive touchdown with 1:34 left in the game

"After our final touchdown, they still had time to drive with their fine offense,” said Carter, who had tried only 10 passes for five completions and only 32 yards through the third quarter. He wound up with 11 for 19 and 104 yards, including six hits - one a 46-yarder to Don Burchfield - in the final Fire drive.

It turned out Carter was almost right. Corcoran, who passed for two touchdowns and scored a third on a sneak, began a last-minute bombardment that could have pulled out a victory.

Corcoran uncorked a 65-yard toss which Mike Carten dropped on the sidelines deep in Fire territory.

“I thought he had it,” said Corcoran, who connected on 17 of 34 tosses for 256 yards.

The game ended with a Corcoran pass from the Fire 37 being intercepted by Joe Womack, who filched three Corcoran passes in all.

The victory, in which Pinder rushed 18 times for 151 yards and scored two touchdowns and Kellar pounded out 112 yards on 23 carries, boosted the Fire record to 5-1. The Bell sagged to a 3-3 mark.

Bell coach Ron Waller conceded the Fire "controlled the ball on us. We had them on the ropes and fought our hearts out."

A Soldier Field crowd of 27,607 watched the Bell take an 8-0 lead in the first quarter on Watts’ six-yard run and then fall behind by 18-8 in the second quarter and trail 25-15 as Pinder smashed across from the one-foot line on the last play of the third quarter.

Then Corcoran put the Bell back in charge with his one-yard scoring keeper and his 45-yard pass to Wats early in the fourth quarter.