League One playoff final - Millwall 1 Swindon 0
Wembley is usually a place where young footballers' dreams are made, but it can also be the setting for a nightmare.
It's safe to say that Swindon Town striker Charlie Austin didn't get much sleep on Saturday night, as he must have been contemplating what might have been.
In a season which has seen him hit the back of the net 20 times, he won't have had an easier chance than the one he inexplicably wasted with 18 minutes remaining when his side were chasing a vital equaliser. In fact, he would have exchanged all his previous successes for this priceless Wembley goal.
After capitalising on a rare mistake from Millwall match-winner Paul Robinson, Austin was sent one-on-one with David Forde before, with the help of the much-maligned Wembley turf, his effort was uncharacteristically scuffed wide, to the horror of the 25,000 Robins fans.
Swindon boss Danny Wilson jumped to the defence of his young striker and became another professional to question the state of the Wembley playing surface, a sentiment which was echoed by his chairman later that evening. The list of critics seems to be growing week by week.
"I can't blame the boy," Wilson said. "I'd have put my house on him, but what can you do when the ball bobbles up like that? He's inconsolable, but his goals got us here. We wouldn't criticise him even if it wasn't a bobble. Maybe it's fate, I don't know."
For Millwall this was sixth time lucky. Having failed in five previous play-off attempts it is safe to say that their fans, as passionate as always on Saturday, were due a play-off success.
Captain and Millwall boy through and through, Robinson grabbed the only goal of the game, as he latched on to some suspect defending from Kevin Amankwaah following a Danny Schofield corner.
His 39th-minute strike was nothing less than the Lions deserved, having posed the bigger threat throughout against a young Town side who failed to deal with the momentous occasion in the right manner.
The Lions skipper, who was in tears as he went to collect the trophy, couldn't hide his joy at the final whistle.
"It means the world," he said. "I'm just so emotional. It's such a great day for the club. I'm so pleased it was me who scored.
"I've grown up here. That makes it extra special. We've gone down in history."
Wembley - a place where dreams are made. Try telling that to Charlie Austin.
Tags: