Thanks for fantastic support

I CAN’T speak highly enough of the Oldham fans — they have been superb throughout.

When I was at Leigh I thought their supporters were great, but these have left them for dead this season.

We had a reception after the game and we were all taken aback by the welcome the fans gave us when we walked through the door.

Everyone at Oldham is just disappointed we couldn’t pull off a win for them on Sunday.

There is always a great deal of regret when you lose any game, but the regret of the defeat against Keighley will carry on into next season.

Our focus was not just to get to the play-off final but to win it. Unfortunately it didn’t turn out that way despite getting so close.

We couldn’t build enough real pressure on their line in the first half, something we had been doing in the games leading up to the final. We weren’t able to complete our sets and then they scored early on after the restart.

But I could never fault the players for their effort and commitment. They kept going right to the end and I couldn’t have asked for anything more of them.

In a way, they probably tried too hard because they were so up for the occasion, but that happens and it something all teams have to deal with.

The players were understandably devastated afterwards. They had put so much into getting to the point where they were one win away from promotion and they were confident they were going to do it.

Unless you are a Rolls Royce team, like Manchester United who have so many skilful individuals to turn a game, you need a good team spirit and that’s what we’ve got here.

The players enjoy playing together and also being together.

You also need a bit of luck with the bounce of the ball and Keighley got that on occasions, but that’s taking nothing away from them.

Although the dust has hardly settled on 2009, I’m already starting to plan for next season — it will be come round before you know it — when hopefully I will still be in charge of Oldham.