THE tears welled up in his eyes as he tried to put into words the disappointment of seeing Sunderland crash out of the FA Cup Semi-Final.

After several attempts to compose himself, the 6ft 2in skinhead shook his head, apologised, and pointed his 17- stone frame towards the pub door and disappeared.

It was of little consolation that he was not alone in shedding a tear. Thousands of other Black Cats fans shared his misery.

The forlorn faces filing out of Old Trafford - the scene of the 1-0 defeat at the hands of First Division rivals Milwall - are matched by those trudging home through the streets of Sunderland yesterday.

Many were simply speechless, others huddled in groups, trying to console each other.

Hopes had been high that this could be Sunderland's year - the chance to pay tribute to the memory of legendary manager Bob Stoke, whose unfancied side lifted the cup in 1973.

But it was not to be. Laura Burns, 15, of Ryhope, said: "I just feel like crying. We should have won it. I know we are still in with a chance of promotion, but it's no consolation right now."

She turned away and was engulfed by her family in a comforting group hug.

Others were more critical of a side they feltl did not play at their best.

Frankie McCormick said: "I feel very disappointed. The way they played the ball was unbelievable. It spent more time in the air than on the ground.

"We were playing like we did last season in the Premiership, it was terrible. As soon as Millwall scored, I knew that was it."

The game was an old-fashioned cup-tie, full of fire and passion on the pitch, providing an emotional rollercoaster of a ride for those turning out to watch the drama unfold in Wearside's pubs.

Arriving an hour before the 1pm kick-off, the streets were practically deserted. There were more police cars than pedestrians.

There was more of a carnival atmosphere. The men decked out in red and white, all smiles and talk of lifting the cup, while the women were dressed to the nines.

But the hordes of fans expected to pack the pubs failed to materialise. The bars were busy, but never fit to burst.

As soon as the game got under way, the excited chatter ceased, and all eyes were fixed on the big screen in Yates' Wine Lodge, in Fawcett Street.

The TV audience roared their team on and the air was punctuated by gasps as Sunderland went close time and time again.

But after Millwall scored, the atmosphere became tense. Gasps turned to screams of frustration as the Black Cats squandered chance after chance. And while the crowd was still vocal, desperation crept in.

However, the fans never gave up hope until the very end, when the pain of being knocked out of the world's greatest cup competition was palpable.

Neil Giles, of Sunderland, summed up their feelings. "I am devastated. We should have won it. We were the best team, but we just couldn't do it."

Read more about Sunderland here.