Brentford Manager Uwe Rösler was left speechless by his side’s last gasp promotion heartache.
The Bees needed to beat Doncaster Rovers at Griffin Park to clinch promotion to The Championship while any other result would see the visitors go up.
Brentford were awarded a stoppage time penalty but Marcello Trotta fired it against the crossbar and Doncaster broke away to score the winner that clinched promotion, and the npower League One title.
Uwe said Club Captain Kevin O’Connor had been selected as the pre-match penalty taker and he would look at what happened with the players as a group.
The Bees finished the season third the League One with their highest third tier points total since 2001/02.
They will now face Swindon Town in the Play-Off Semi-Finals as the battle for promotion continues.
“I can’t put in to words what has just happened,” said Uwe, speaking after the final whistle.
“I’m speechless.
“We have to look at it as a group.
“Everybody knew I had selected Kevin O’Connor to take the penalty.
“As a whole group, out there, we have to make sure that message is followed.”
It was a match of few chances at Griffin Park.
Bradley Wright-Phillips hit the post for The Bees and Jonathan Douglas shot over while Simon Moore made a few low stops from long range efforts.
Uwe said his team played too many direct balls and needed to be braver in possession.
“We knew Doncaster would be good defensively,” said the Brentford Manager.
“We should have played more football.
“Some players didn’t want the ball.
“We went too direct from the keeper.
“Every ball came straight back, particularly in the second half.
“We should have shown more bravery as a team to try and get the ball down.
“It was OK in the first 20 minutes, to play at a high speed and try and force mistakes but I wished us to pass as we could.
“That is how you can beat a team like Doncaster.”
Brentford will travel to Swindon for the Play-Off Semi-Final First Leg next Saturday, May 4.
The decisive second leg will then be played at Griffin Park on Monday May 6.
Uwe said his players had to get the Doncaster result out of their systems and could then look to start again.
“It is very difficult to speak now about the Play-Offs,” he said.
“Everybody should go home and get it out their system.
“From Monday on, we will start again.
“Then we will be OK.
“It is very difficult to not go up in those circumstances.
“Tomorrow we have the Big Red Ball.
“After that, we start preparing for the game.”
Bees Player subscribers can see a full video interview with Uwe Rösler here.