GARY Mills apologised to York City supporters for failing in his bid to keep the club in the National League.

The Minstermen have been relegated despite only losing five of their 25 games in 2017 and, having shown the form of a top-ten team since the turn of the year.

That was of no consolation for Mills, though, after his team’s fate was sealed following the 2-2 home draw with play-off qualifiers Forest Green.

“It’s an emotional and tough game and, personally, I want to say sorry that I couldn’t do it for the fans, because they have been incredible with their support home and away,” lamented Mills, who returned for a second spell at the Bootham Crescent helm in October. “I’ve given it my all and have made decisions I thought were right.

“Some might question team selections and some might not because football is about opinions but, all I can say, is I’m absolutely devastated for everybody connected with the club, because I take pride in what I do and I haven’t been able to do what I came back to the club to achieve. We came within a whisker of doing it and that’s how close football can be at times.

“It hurts and it will do for a while, but we have to face reality. We will be having a few days off, which we would have done whatever the outcome, then we’ve got to come back and try to win the FA Trophy final at Wembley because we’ve now got to be big and strong and stay proud of our football club.”

Mills also went on to defend his players from any form of criticism following their efforts to claw their way out of trouble during the second half of the campaign.

“The game is about players and, if you don’t have them, you can’t win things,” the former Wrexham and Gateshead chief pointed out. “We’ve certainly put together a group of players who were a credit to the club on and off the field.

“The fans need to know that I couldn’t have got anything more out of this group of players since the turn of the year. They have been incredible for me, which we saw again as they came back from behind twice to draw against Forest Green.

“Their keeper also made two or three great saves to stop us from staying in the league and I thought we deserved to win the game, but we didn’t. Forest Green are a good side who pass the ball well, but they didn’t really create an abundance of chances.

“We did and didn’t take them. We might have also defended the second goal better but, if that is cited as a reason for us being relegated, then it’s way off the mark and I won’t have anybody calling this group of players in any way.”

With chief executive and former manager Jackie McNamara not witnessed at the match, chairman Jason McGill bore the brunt of fans’ frustrations after the game, as around 40 supporters staged a car-park protest afterwards calling for him to leave the club.

On those scenes, Mills added: “The chairman is a fantastic man and the club means so much to him. Financially, he’s been immense and I think the fans shouting things outside was a reaction to what has happened and that will always happen but, through that, you have to be professional and strong and have a vision for coming back with the right people and manager.

“I’m proud to be manager of this football club, but I’ll have to live with what he decides, because that’s the game I’m in.”