A PROUD Martin Scott last night urged Hartlepool United's heartbroken players to pick themselves up and focus on going one step further next season by claiming a place in the Championship.

Pool's first ever play-off final ended in disappointment at the Millennium Stadium yesterday when Sheffield Wednesday clinched a 4-2 victory in extra-time.

But caretaker boss Scott, himself a loser as a player in the end-of-season shoot-out at Sunderland against Charlton in 1998, does not believe his men have anything to be too despondent about.

He said: "We are disappointed but proud. I have told them to have a drink with their families, travel back together and enjoy the occasion. What's not to enjoy about it? We are not pleased with the result but we are pleased with the performance.

"It is still a fantastic achievement for the lads to have got this far. We did well last year when we were beaten at Bristol City in the semi-finals.

"This year we went one better and what an occasion to enjoy. We got to the final and enjoyed all the hype that has gone with it. It has been fantastic to be involved in.

"But now we will learn from the experience. The expectation level is higher now and the fans expect us to reach the play-offs now, that's how things have changed. They will expect promotion next season and I believe we are good enough for that."

Whether Scott will be in charge next season to oversee a promotion push is open to debate. He is due to go on holiday with his family and is ready for talks with chairman Ken Hodcroft.

He has made no secret of the fact that he wants the manager's job permanently but faces competition from Chris Turner, Peter Beardsley and John Carver.

And Scott said: "This result doesn't change my ambition but I want to remain as manager. I want to progress and I have really enjoyed myself during these past four games.

"I respected the chairman's decision to deal with it after the play-offs. It got pushed back and back and he will have a chat with me."

Scott sympathised with Chris Westwood - the defender whose brush with the Owls' Drew Talbot led to Pool letting a slender goal lead slip and being down to ten men for the whole of extra-time.

Harshly, it could prove to be Westwood's last action as a Pool player as he is out of contract this summer and Walsall are heading the list for his signature.

"To lose a player like Chris at such a vital time was crucial," he said. "I haven't seen the replay and I don't know if he deserved to go or not. But Chris put his hand across him and the striker went down, they are good at that and I don't have any complaints.

"Chris wants to keep his options open and I understand that. He is an outstanding player and he has done ever so well since he has been at the club. We want to keep him."

After going a goal in front, courtesy of Jon Daly's header 19 minutes from time, Scott admitted that he began to feel dates with Southampton and Wolves were on the cards next season.

But - after Westwood's dismissal and Micky Barron, Joel Porter and Thomas Butler all went off injured - he suddenly changed his mind.

"When the three players went off and a man got sent off I began to think that it wasn't to be our day," said Scott.

"But when we went in front I was so excited. We knew they would come back and full credit to them because they got the win they needed."

And Scott also paid tribute to the 16,500 supporters who made the trip from the North-East to south Wales. He said: "The support has been tremendous. It's been a great occasion for them. We wanted to make them proud. The result has gone against us but they realise the effort that has gone in. We appreciated the backing."

Wednesday boss Paul Sturrock was relieved to have taken the Hillsborough outfit back into the Championship - with such a poor track record behind him in finals.

Sturrock said: "I have lost and played in six cup finals as a player and this is the first I have won as a manager - that's such a nice feeling and it's great for the club.

"But great credit to Hartlepool, they got on top of us and made it hard. They really came at us and looked like getting the result."

Sturrock also praised goalscorer Steve MacLean for the bravery to take the penalty which swung the momentum back in the direction of Wednesday.

MacLean was a surprise inclusion in Sturrock's squad following a stress fracture to his foot which kept him on the sidelines for the last three months.

''Stevie's kept himself in the frame and I just felt the boost of him coming off the bench would be a great benefit to us,'' said Sturrock.

''He's lucky if he's half-fit, but the way he plays he doesn't do that much running because he takes a lot of balls at his feet.''