BY TOMMY NETHERY
Ivan Sproule's dream of playing in the English Premiership was shattered on Saturday when a spectacular Dean Windass volley saw battling Bristol City go down 1-0 to Hull City in the Coca Cola Championship Play-off final in front of almost 90, 000 fans at the new Wembley Stadium.
For the Castlederg man, Saturday's appearance at Wembley was supposed to be the pinnacle of a sparkling professional career and a fairytale ending for a City side that had taken the Championship by storm since their promotion from League One the previous season.
Instead though it became his worst nightmare as 39-year-old Windass stuck a dagger through City's hopes in the first half before a rampant Bristol attack - boosted by Sproule 63rd minute arrival from the bench - bombarded but ultimately failed to unlock a resilient Hull defence in a blistering late assault.
As thousands of delirious Hull fans joined their team in celebrating their arrival in the Premier League for the first time in the club's 104-year history, the mood in the Bristol camp was one of utter devastation, heartbreak and disbelief that they had fallen at the final hurdle in their audacious bid to play the likes of Manchester United, Arsenal and Liverpool next season.
Speaking moments after leaving Wembley, a gutted Sproule told the Herald that losing Saturday's play-off rated as one of the lowest moments in his soccer career, both as an amateur and professional.
"Losing at Wembley is the worst feeling in the world," said the 27-year-old, who joined City from Hibs almost 12 months ago.
"To be 90 minutes away from playing in the Premier League and having that ripped from your grasp is gut-wrenching. It is soul destroying to get so close. The old cliche it's a fine line between success and failure springs to mind."
That fine line was highlighted in the final half hour as Hull City goalkeeper Boaz Myhill denied Lee Trundle, Micheal McIndoe and Sproule as the Robins laid siege to their opponents' goal. As in the semi-final, the Derg speedster was introduced from the bench with devastating effect but despite a number of excellent deliveries from the former Omagh Town man the Bristol attack failed to breach a stretched but stubborn Hull rearguard.
"That fact makes it an even harder pill to swallow," bemoaned Sproule.
"Had we not played well and been beaten by a better team on the day that would have been easier to accept but that simply wasn't the case. We bombarded them late on but we just couldn't get the breakthrough.
"In some respects I feel I have let a lot of people down back home. I wanted to become a Premier League footballer not just for myself, but for all the people back home who have supported me and wished me well since becoming a professional.
"A few years back I was sent off against Hearts in the semi-final of the Scottish Cup at Hampden Park. That was a catastrophic moment and the feeling today is just as bad."
