THE disappointment of last Saturday's defeat against Exeter and the realisation that the play-offs are now virtually out of reach, will last all summer.

Through all the trials and tribulations the players have endured it was a fantastic achievement to be in contention for a play-off place at all.

This is no excuse for hitting a bad run of form that brought us two points out of a possible 12 from the last four games but maybe it just wasn't meant to happen for us this season.

The younger members of the squad will have learnt more from the last 45 games than from previous seasons when the club was fighting against relegation.

They have now played in a team which were in the top half of the league all season and winning games regularly.

This will make them more determined for success next season.

The next couple of weeks will be a tense time for footballers across the country that will be out of contract this summer.

York City have the same problem with a number of players' contracts coming to an end.

Negotiations with the management have not begun due to the financial trouble the club has gone through this term, but it is still a worrying time for the players and their families.

We now have a long trip to Oxford on Saturday. They have had a form crisis in the run-in to the end of the season, but they have a more realistic chance of reaching the play-offs than us and so have everything to play for, and in the unlikely event of us beating Oxford 7-0, both teams would still have to rely on Torquay beating Lincoln at Sincil Bank to get a play-off spot, although stranger things have happened.

We would love to beat them at the Kassam Stadium and extract some revenge for our 1-0 home defeat to them, which is one of only three games we lost at Bootham Crescent all season.

The last Saturday of the season always throws up some crucial games and this season proves to no exception.

I wish my friend Richie Humphreys all the best as his team Hartlepool play Rushden & Diamonds in the Third Division Championship decider.

It's just as important at the bottom of the table, as Shrewsbury lost their League status on Tuesday night after a 3-2 home defeat to Carlisle, which kept the Cumbrians in the League and relegated Shrewsbury to the Conference after more than 50 years of League football.

Either Exeter, who play at home to Southend, or Swansea, who entertain Hull, will fill the other relegation place.

Writing this I can't help feeling a hint of regret at not being involved in such a crucial game at the top and I hope next season will produce more success stories to report on and that promotion will not elude us again.

Updated: 11:38 Thursday, May 01, 2003