I'VE waited a long time to be involved in the play-offs, but it didn't go to plan in any way, shape or form.

Missing the first leg at Wolves was a big disappointment.

I'd picked up the flu from somewhere and it pretty much wiped me out for the entire week leading up to the game.

I had hoped to get back to training on the Thursday or Friday to at least be in contention. But the bug dragged on for a lot longer than it has previously and the best I could hope for was travelling up to the game to watch.

And that was a real shame because I love playing at Molineux. It's a big pitch and a good atmosphere and I felt I would have been able to have a good game. But it just wasn't to be.

And last night was disappointing because it never went for us.

Over the two legs I'd say we might have shaded it. But we never took our chances and you have to in games like that. That's what the play-offs are all about.

I thought we were the better team in the first half and, with the way the game was going, if we'd have scored early, it was ours for the taking.

Their keeper made two good saves and I had a great chance to score. I've probably scored from five similar chances this season. I don't know what happened last night but it just went wide.

It was a moment of glory and missing that chance is something I'll be thinking about for a long time.

Towards the end I'd started to cramp up in my calves, and I'd taken a knock on one of my calves earlier.

In a game against one of the lower sides, I might have got away with it.

But you've got to be able to kick on in the last 20 minutes in big games like that and missing out on eight or nine days of preparation showed in the end.

My loan spell at Reading has been a good change for me but I would have loved to have gone out on a high.

My big regret is that I wasn't 100 per cent for the second leg.

I hadn't missed training since I'd been at Reading or picked up any injuries, and to get flu the week before the first play-off game was just the worst scenario.

I said my goodbyes to the lads last night. I felt sorry for them, particularly because they are the ones that have done it all season. I cheated by turning up for the last couple of months and tried to help them out.

The rest of the lads have put the effort in all season.

But now I'm off in search of sun and relaxation after a long, hard campaign.