Steven MacLean insists St Johnstone’s 2-0 win over Livingston was the fitting ending for departing chairman Steve Brown and club legend Murray Davidson.

Drey Wright opened the scoring after 17 minutes when he capitalised on some poor defending from the visitors to rifle home from close range, before Chris Kane climbed off the bench to bag his first goal in 16 months after being sidelined with a long-term injury.

MacLean, who was handed the manager’s job on a permanent basis on Saturday after a successful spell as caretaker, admits plans are already in place for next season and is aiming to take the McDiarmid Park side to the next level.

He said: “It was excellent. Before the game you’re a bit apprehensive as there is nothing on the game but with the chairman leaving and it being Murray’s (Davidson) last game, I’m just absolutely delighted for everyone concerned with the football club that we managed to send them off with a win.

“I am always planning and trying to get better as a coach and manager. We set standards every day and I’m very proud of the players as they’ve given me absolutely everything, but we will be looking to improve.

“I won’t be resting on three wins and two draws, I want to keep pushing on and win every game going forward. I want to play attacking, front-foot football and want to enjoy football.

“I’ve already sat down with the new board already, so we have got plans in place ready to go and also have ideas as you’ve always got to look to improve. There’s players in contract and also out of contract so there’s a lot of work to be done and it’s going to be busy but I’m looking forward to it.

“I’ll speak to players who are in and out of contract. There will be tough decisions to make but they will be ones that I feel are right to try and make the football club better.”

Livingston boss David Martindale said: “Our away form, I am not going to sugar-coat it, has been wretched.

“Our away form has been absolutely horrible.

“I have tried different formations and different personnel. There were a lot of personnel missing today but it was an opportunity for others to go in and show they can come in and play for me.

“There are a few leaving but the budget still needs to be cut.

“I have found ways to cut that, but something will need to come off the squad budget.

“I am probably looking at another four or five players that I feel can come and play with me every week. Three or four probably need to move on.

“They have been told who they are, and their game time is going to be limited next season. They probably won’t be in training with the group, and it is best for them and the group if they move on. I will be looking at four or potentially five, but finances play a huge part in that.”

Overjoyed Carlisle boss Paul Simpson was happy for his players to head out and enjoy a beer following their dramatic 5-4 penalty shootout win over Stockport in the Sky Bet League Two play-off final.

After the Wembley showdown ended 1-1 after 120 minutes, the Cumbrians held their nerve to score five faultless spot-kicks to seal promotion and return to League One after nine years away.

“I’m delighted for all the players,” said Simpson. “They’ve shown the desire to really dig in during that second half, because we had to earn the right to take it all the way.

“We had to hang in there a little bit, but I’m so pleased we’ve stuck at it and taken the game all the way.

“We’ve done that all season, and to be honest that began on June 22 last year when we started pre-season.

“Someone has said we were eighth favourites to go down but, after this, I’m just so unbelievably proud of the group, the whole football club, and of course the supporters.

“I’ve lost all my previous games at Wembley so I felt that run couldn’t continue too much longer, but this day is going to be right up there.

“We’ve probably overachieved in securing promotion, and I have to say I didn’t really expect this at the end of this season, but again credit to the players for their efforts.

“We’ve always had the belief but wow, we’re in for a really good night now.

“The players and the supporters have earned a beer.”

It proved to be a tightly contested, energy-sapping first half amid summery conditions at Wembley.

Stockport held the advantage at the break thanks to a touch of fortune when Isaac Olaofe’s cross flicked off Jon Mellish’s boot before looping into the far corner.

However, Carlisle substitute Omari Patrick’s drilled finish in the 84th minute sent the tie into extra-time.

After Ryan Rydel’s sole penalty miss in the shootout proved decisive, last season’s Vanarama National League champions Stockport missed out on back-to-back promotions.

Boss Dave Challinor has urged his talented squad to learn from the heartbreaking defeat.

“I wasn’t too surprised that the game was so tight, but obviously it’s a really disappointing way to lose,” he said.

“We’ve gone through all the emotions over the last week – winning on penalties against Salford and then this – but we have to learn from days like today.

“We have to learn from it and take all the positives we can.

“It’s not a nice feeling, but we have to use this feeling to motivate us for what will be a different prospect in League Two next season.”

Challinor felt huge sympathy for youngster Rydel, who has otherwise enjoyed a terrific season at Edgeley Park.

“He’ll just have to learn from the experience,” added the County boss.

“We’re all gutted for him, but anyone can miss a penalty in that situation.

“Better players than Ryan have missed pressure penalties like that, and you have to say that all the other nine were pretty much perfect so that’s just how it goes sometimes.

“Ryan has got to use this as a driving factor for his future career.

“It’s an important experience he has to go through, but he’s a great lad and he’ll get over it.”

Claire O’Riordan believes the use of Hampden Park for Celtic’s Scottish Cup final win over Rangers is another step in the right direction for the women’s game.

The first time the two sides had met in the final of the competition was also the first time the showpiece finale was hosted at the national stadium where second-half goals from Natasha Flint and O’Riordan saw the Hoops retain the trophy with a 2-0 win.

After the game, watched by a crowd of 10,446, Republic of Ireland international O’Riordan said: “Obviously, that shows a stepping stone in the right direction in the women’s game to be able to put it on such a stage, the progression that the SFA have been able to put into the women’s game and the support and exposure that has come with that.

“It can only mean that the game can utilise that and continue to grow and again, it is really important for women’s football here in Scotland and around the world.”

Celtic missed out on the league title last week after Glasgow City’s dramatic last-gasp winner against Rangers at Ibrox rendered the Hoops’ 2-0 win over Hearts at Celtic Park irrelevant.

O’Riordan said: “Obviously, it was difficult finishing off the season the way we did last week but in some ways, we took the positives, another record crowd at Celtic Park (15,822) and another three points to finish off the league season.

“And we just got back into work as we do every day, every week and we reaped the rewards today.

“It was a tough task but the most important thing was we stuck together and grinded out the result.”

Hoops boss Fran Alonso admitted the victory was “the perfect ending” for his side.

He said: “This week was very hard to pick the girls up, which was our dream.

“Credit to Glasgow City, they deserved it but football was cruel to us.

“We transferred this anger and disappointment into aggression and passion and today – against a superb team – we dominated the game.

“We could have scored more. I am extremely proud and it was what the girls deserved. They never give up and never let me down.

“I told them before game even if we don’t win the game that I was proud of them – they have been 10 out of 10 this season. But that is the perfect ending. It is a very special day for me and my family.”

It was Malky Thomson’s last game as Rangers boss before he returns to the club’s academy.

The Light Blues secured the Sky Sports Cup earlier this season but came third in the league before their Scottish Cup final disappointment.

He said: “You get to the latter stages of any competition and you want to try and win it, so there are a lot of emotions.

“We have given a good account of ourselves across a long, hard season.

“There are fine margins. When you create opportunities you have got to take them.

“I have to say that no matter what, we have always been playing for something this season. That is a major positive.

“We won one trophy, we got to the Scottish Cup final and we came close to retaining the title so there are a lot of positives.

“It is a work in progress. That is three years we have been professional.

“There have been massive expectations at this club. The learning experience they have gained will stand them in good stead for next season.”

Reggae Girlz captain, Khadija ‘Bunny’ Shaw has won the award for Manchester City Women’s Player of the Season, having come out on top in a fan vote.

Shaw, in her second season for Manchester City Women,  scored 31 goals in all competitions, surpassing the record for the most goals by a Women’s player across a single season. She also claimed the WSL Player of the Month awards in November and March and received the Goal of the Season prize for her strike against Arsenal in April 2023.

Shaw, who scored twice in Manchester City Women's 3-2 win over Everton on Saturday's final day of the season, did miss out on the Women’s Super League Golden Boot having bagged 20 league goals, two shy of Aston Villa’s Rachel Daley’s 22. Daley scored in Aston Villa's 2-0 win over Arsenal.

Manchester City Women finished fourth in the WSL on 47 points behind winners Chelsea Women who amassed 58 points from their 22 games. Manchester United Women finished second with 56 points. Arsenal Women were third on 47 points, the same as Manchester City Women, who lost their first two games of the season before going on a 16-game unbeaten run.

However, the Cityzens lost three of their last six games and fell out of the running for the title. They finished with a record of 15 wins, two draws and five losses.

Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou believes his players have become conditioned to the constant demands for success.

Captain Callum McGregor lifted the cinch Premiership trophy on Saturday after a 5-0 win over Aberdeen rounded off a season in which Celtic collected 99 points and scored a post-war club-record 114 league goals.

Postecoglou has now claimed four of five domestic trophies available since arriving from Japan in the summer of 2021 and he can follow in the footsteps of Jock Stein, Martin O’Neill, Brendan Rodgers and Neil Lennon by clinching the treble with Scottish Cup victory over Inverness on Saturday.

“From the moment I arrived, I think I have said many times, coming off a trophyless season, we could not go another year without winning something,” he said.

“From the first day I arrived, irrespective of what happened at the start of the season, I made it clear to the boys that expectation is always there.

“That will never change. Whether you are winning or not winning, expectation at this football club is you have success every year.

“I think the players have become conditioned to that. They train like that every day, they behave like that. Callum is pushing them like that every day. You can’t have an off day. You can’t have an off season.”

Postecoglou is already thinking about how he can improve Celtic next season.

“You can’t stand still in this game,” he said. “It changes very quickly. It’s fine margins between having success again and not being successful.

“And more than that, this team’s going to improve. Most of the key players in this team, you can see them improving.

“All the the ones who joined last year have had better years this year than last year, and the ones who stayed, Callum and Greg Taylor and Tony Ralston, all those guys, have all come on, and had better years this year.

“That tells me there’s more improvement. There has to be.”

Aberdeen manager Barry Robson will try to make sure his side compete better with Celtic next season but he sensed Saturday’s game would be difficult given the occasion and the fact his side had achieved their goal of finishing third in the league three days earlier.

Robson, whose side will be guaranteed European group stage football if Celtic win the cup, said: “We’re going to try our best in every department and be as good as we can possibly be.

“We know the differences in finance between teams in the league.

“I’ve played for teams challenging the Old Firm and I’ve played for the Old Firm myself, so I know how difficult it is.

“But we need to be as good an Aberdeen team as we can be, which we’ve done, and also perform well in Europe.

“We need Celtic to do us a turn at Hampden next week.

“That wasn’t our fight. Our fight was getting to third. But we want to make it a fight.”

Sheffield Wednesday manager Darren Moore has urged his side to “embrace the moment” as the build-up to their Sky Bet League One play-off final continues.

The Owls reached Monday’s final in dramatic circumstances following a remarkable comeback against Peterborough in the semi-final, which saw them overturn a four-goal deficit in the first leg to then win 5-3 on penalties.

Their victory sets up a clash against Barnsley at Wembley with promotion to the Championship the prize and Moore is looking forward to the occasion between the South Yorkshire rivals.

He told a pre-match press conference: “Having two clubs so close together, it’s a Wembley final, two teams from Yorkshire competing for that final spot to get up into the Championship, it bodes well for a wonderful game.

“We’re just focusing on the game, focusing on the here and now and we’re looking forward to it.

“Like I said to the players, we’re to embrace this moment, embrace this time, because you’re embracing the moment in time not on your own.

“We have a multitude – an army – of fans with us as well as the staff, the players…it’s a oneness that we’ve always maintained throughout the season and that’s what we’ll see on Monday.”

Moore also recognised how special it is to play at Wembley, but stressed that he is preparing for it like “a normal game”.

“These times now are to be enjoyed, embraced, remember these times because they are special times,” he added.

“I said the beautiful thing about this for the players is you don’t stand there alone, I don’t have this as a lone figure as a manager because I feel I have a multitude that is with me.

“Players, staff, we’re all in it together, so we’re all approaching this together.

“My message has always been clear…to embrace this moment, enjoy the moment and within the club internally we’ve been planning and preparing as we would for a normal game.

“The game will quickly be upon us on Monday where we’ll get to compete and contest.”

The Tykes earned a league double over the Owls in the regular season for the first time since 2009, winning 2-0 at Hillsborough in September before securing a 4-2 win in the reverse fixture in March.

Despite Barnsley’s winning record against them this season, Moore is only focused on what is at stake on Monday.

“For me now what’s gone on has gone on before, we forget those things now and we focus on the here and now, the present.

“That’s what it is because the reason why the game’s being played at Wembley, it’s a final, the arena’s different, the atmosphere’s different, the mental side is different so it’s the here and now moment to deal with the games.”

Paul Konchesky has left his position as West Ham manager after the Women’s Super League season ended on Saturday.

The former England defender, who made 70 appearances for the Hammers, was promoted from assistant in May 2022 when boss Olli Harder departed the club.

Konchesky signed a two-year deal, but has left the Hammers after just 29 games in charge, with the club finishing eighth in the WSL table following a 2-2 draw at home to London rivals Tottenham in their final match of the campaign.

“I am proud and honoured to have had the opportunity to manage this club,” Konchesky told the club’s official website.

“My players and my staff have always given me 100 per cent and while some of our results have been disappointing this season, we still have a lot to be proud of, including reaching the semi-final of the Conti Cup. I wish the club well for the future.”

West Ham Women general manager Aidan Boxall said: “We would like to thank Paul for his contribution to the club, both as manager and during his spell as assistant manager.

“He has played a key role in the ongoing development of the women’s team and we wish him well for the future.”

Ethan Pinnock has signed a new four-year contract at Brentford.

The defender, who turns 30 on Monday, will now stay with the Bees until the summer of 2027.

Pinnock joined Brentford from Barnsley in 2019 and has made 153 appearances for the club.

Bees boss Thomas Frank told the club’s official website: “This is great news for Brentford and I am incredibly pleased that we have Ethan with us for four more years, I am sure our fans are delighted.

“Ethan has been a mountain in defence for us for the last four years. He played a key role in our journey to the top half of the Premier League. He is a top, top player and a great person.

“He has stepped seamlessly in the Premier League and it is an amazing story for him, and for football, that he can progress from non-league to the top of the game so quickly.

“He has proven himself to be a typical Brentford signing, he meets every challenge he faces and we think there is still more development for him.

“Ethan has been so reliable and consistent for us and I am sure that will continue. He will be spending the prime years of his career with us and we look forward to him helping the team be successful in the coming seasons.”

Luton captain Tom Lockyer has thanked medical staff for their “swift and thorough response” after collapsing during his side’s Sky Bet Championship play-off final victory against Coventry.

The defender fell to the floor while running back during the match and received treatment before being carried off the pitch on a stretcher.

The game went to penalties after Jordan Clark’s opener was cancelled out by Gustavo Hamer to finish 1-1 after extra time, and the Hatters secured Premier League football for next season with a 6-5 victory on penalties.

Luton players held up Lockyer’s shirt throughout their celebrations and the captain posted an update on Instagram.

He said: “Well not quite where I thought I’d be celebrating at the final whistle!

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Tom Lockyer (@tomlockyer)

“I would just like to say a massive thank you to the amazing physios and doctors at Luton and Wembley for the swift and thorough response.

“A much scarier moment for everyone else than myself I am sure!

“Commiserations to Coventry a fantastic opponent over 3 games which had to be decided by penalties.

“I am currently in hospital under precaution and will stay here overnight for further tests in the morning.

“I am feeling very much myself, helped by the way the lads left it all out on pitch! It’s such an honour to be part of this team.. Premier League baby.”

A thrilling finale at Wembley saw victory secure a return to the top flight for Luton for the first time since 1992.

It is a remarkable turnaround given just nine years ago the Hatters ended a five-season stretch in the fifth tier, but manager Rob Edwards admitted emotions were “mixed” afterwards following Lockyer’s collapse.

“I felt a bit numb. I just made sure I shook Mark’s hand and his staff,” Edwards said.

“I don’t want to be that guy that just starts running off and celebrating before I’ve seen the other manager.

“I just felt very numb. I still do. It hasn’t sunk in quite yet. It might take a few days, but it’s great. It does feel good.

“It was mixed because of Locks (Lockyer), that’s why I couldn’t really go for it celebrating.”

Michael Beale is looking for players to “step up into leadership roles” next season following the departure of Allan McGregor, Scott Arfield and others.

Veteran goalkeeper McGregor, 41, and 34-year-old midfielder Arfield, along with Ryan Kent, Alfredo Morelos and Filip Helander, have played their last games for the Ibrox club with their contracts expiring this summer.

Robby McCrorie took over in goal from McGregor for the trip to St Mirren on Saturday where Arfield came on as a second-half substitute in the 3-0 cinch Premiership win thanks to a double from Fashion Sakala and close-range effort from substitute Antonio Colak.

Beale will revamp his squad to challenge champions Celtic next season and told RangersTV that he is now looking for new leaders.

He said: “Robby has come in and we’ve seen no change in terms of him coming in as a young goalkeeper taking over from someone like Allan, who has been a stalwart for many years.

“I want to mention him and Scott because we’re losing a lot of experience and standards, so I’m expecting one or two others to step up now.

“That’s the message to the group, those two players have been there and seen it at this club, played in the Premier League, and we’re going to need one or two others to step up into those leadership roles.”

St Mirren achieved their highest league finish since 1985 – sixth – albeit they failed to win any of their last seven fixtures with five defeats and two draws, which meant a potential European place was ultimately out of their reach.

Manager Stephen Robinson, however, put a tough end to the season for the Buddies into context.

The Northern Irishman said: “Maybe people only remember the last few games but I want people to remember just how close we took Hearts – (2-2) a club much bigger than ours – and how close we took Celtic in every game we played them.

“We have fallen short for Europe but that’s understandable. It’s a building block, and I think the fans appreciated that.

“My job is to run the football club prudently to make sure we don’t get into the debts we had previously but also try to build a successful squad.

“That is the challenge and it’s one we are right up for and I will get plenty of support.”

Barnsley boss Michael Duff insists he never doubted his decision to take on the job last summer after relegation had left the club in disarray.

The Reds had just crashed into the third tier after winning only six Sky Bet Championship matches, but now stand on the brink of an immediate return.

They face local rivals Sheffield Wednesday in Monday’s League One play-off final, 11 months after Duff left Cheltenham to try and turn Barnsley’s fortunes around.

Disillusioned fans had lost count of the players who either departed or arrived at Oakwell following relegation and despite three defeats in their first five league games this season, Duff never had any regrets.

He said: “No because I back myself no matter what. I didn’t win a game for 10 games at Cheltenham and I didn’t doubt myself at that point.

“I learnt a lot, but I didn’t doubt myself. So a bit older, a bit wiser, a bit greyer, a lot fatter, but when I did my first interviews here and people asked where did I think we would finish, I never said anything.

“It wasn’t me being evasive, I just thought ‘we’ll see’. But I know I work hard, I believe in what I do and obviously now we’re in a shoot-out to get promoted.”

Duff led Cheltenham to League Two promotion and then 15th in League One, their highest English Football League finish, before replacing Poya Asbaghi in June to become Barnsley’s sixth manager in less than three years.

After an indifferent start, former Burnley defender Duff moulded a new-look team into automatic promotion contenders.

Barnsley halted Wednesday’s 23-game unbeaten league run in a thrilling 4-2 win at Oakwell in March to extend their own unbeaten streak to 12 matches.

That run included 10 wins and catapulted them into top-two contention, but Duff still publicly refused to set his side any targets.

“I think talk is cheap,” he said. “You can talk and talk about philosophy and all that sort of stuff. It’s nonsense in my opinion.

“It’s about can you get a group to work hard and stick together and find a way of playing and that’s what we’ve done as the season has gone on and we’ve proved to be good at it.”

Duff, whose side’s automatic promotion hopes were dashed in late April when they lost at home to Ipswich, said the players’ belief has grown steadily throughout the season.

“You get the players to set their own target, but how much they believed it I don’t know because sometimes they pay lip service,” he added.

“We’d just been relegated, what is the target? Is it the play-offs? The players almost feel they have to say, ‘yeah, we’ve got to get in the play-offs’, but I don’t know how much they believed it.

“But once you start working day-to-day with them, you break it down. The first 10 games we set a target of 16 points, because generally 1.6 points per game gets you in the play-offs.

“That was the group’s first target, to break it down. It’s those day-to-day, week-to-week habits.

“We’ve got to the point now where the players can look back and say, ‘we didn’t need to say that, but now we do believe’.

“Now, can they have that belief one more time?”

Hibernian’s Chris Cadden is facing the prospect of missing most of next season amid fears that he ruptured his Achilles tendon in Saturday’s 1-1 draw with 10-man Hearts at Tynecastle.

The 26-year-old was carried off in clear distress after landing awkwardly while making a headed clearance in his own box midway through the second half.

Hibs also lost Jake Doyle-Hayes after he dislocated his shoulder in an eventful showdown in Gorgie, while manager Lee Johnson confirmed afterwards that on-loan Burnley defender CJ Egan-Riley, who suffered a hamstring injury in Wednesday’s win over Celtic, will be out well into the new campaign.

The injury to Cadden is of most concern, however, with players typically out for the best part of a year when damaging their Achilles.

“Not good, they look like bad ones, so our thoughts go out to them,” said Johnson when asked for an update after the Hearts match.

“I think Jake’s dislocated his shoulder and Cadds may have ruptured his Achilles, so that’s not good, obviously.

“With CJ’s hamstring as well, it looks like he’s going to be out for three or four months, so that’s three big players.

“Two are on contract but one potentially we could have got back next year, so we will have to rethink with a short summer ahead of us.”

Despite playing for an hour with an extra man after Alex Cochrane’s dismissal, Hibs – who equalised through Kevin Nisbet after Yutaro Oda’s early opener – were unable to find the winner that would have lifted them above Hearts into fourth place in the table and guaranteed them European football next term.

The fifth-placed Hibees will still get a crack at the Europa Conference League as long as Celtic beat Inverness in next Saturday’s Scottish Cup final.

“I’m proud of the second half of the season,” said Johnson, reflecting on his first campaign at Easter Road.

“If I look at the big picture now of where we are compared to where we were, we’re in a fantastic place to progress.

“I will make changes over the summer, without a question of a doubt, there will be ins and outs. I’m not finished, we’re not finished.

“Everything is looking up, the points tally (eight out of 15) in the top six has been good.

“I felt we should have beaten Aberdeen which potentially could have been another two points.

“We’ve got the summer to build that 30 per cent within the squad that we’re after – a bit more quality, change the dynamic a little bit, freshen the group up and then we go again.”

Steven Naismith, who oversaw two wins, three draws and two defeats in his seven games in interim charge of Hearts, declared himself “ready for management”.

“This period was definitely a big indicator,” said the 36-year-old.

“I have spoken to clubs in the past but you have this feeling of ‘am I ready?’, And every manager I’ve spoken to has said that if you could coach for 10 years you will never know when you’re ready, but what this has done is give me a taste of it and I know I’m ready and I think I’ve shown that.

“These are the five hardest fixtures of the season, at a time when the squad is really low and I’m proud of what we’ve done. I’m ready for it.

“The conversations will now start to see whether I’m the man to take Hearts forward or not but I’m looking forward to those conversations.”

Rob Edwards’ delight at Luton ending their 31-year wait for Premier League football was nothing compared to the relief he felt at the news captain Tom Lockyer was all right.

Saturday’s Sky Bet Championship play-off final went the distance at a packed Wembley, where the Hatters rallied after their skipper’s worryingly collapse early on.

Jordan Clark put Luton into a deserved lead that Coventry midfielder Gustavo Hamer cancelled out in the second half, with the match ending 1-1 after 90 minutes and extra-time.

Joe Taylor saw a winner ruled out just before spot-kicks, with Fankaty Dabo’s sudden-death miss sealing a 6-5 shoot-out triumph that propelled Luton back into the top-flight for the first time since 1992.

The dramatic triumph means the Hatters will welcome Manchester City and Co just nine years after facing the likes of Salisbury and Hyde in the Conference Premier.

Luton boss Edwards said: “I felt a bit numb. I just made sure I shook Mark’s hand and his staff.

“I don’t want to be that guy that just starts running off and celebrating before I’ve seen the other manager.

“I just felt very numb. I still do. It hasn’t sunk in quite yet. It might take a few days, but it’s great. It does feel good.

“It was mixed because of Locks (Lockyer), that’s why I couldn’t really go for it celebrating.”

This is a day that will live long in the memory of anybody connected to Luton, whose players held a Lockyer shirt throughout the celebrations.

The Hatters captain collapsed when running back to defence in the early stages of the final, leaving the field on a stretcher and being taken to hospital for tests.

Luton confirmed Lockyer was “responsive and talking to his family”, with his dad posting an image of him in a hospital bed celebrating the shoot-out win.

Edwards cried with delight when he saw that image and hopes to soon celebrate with the much-loved skipper.

“If we can we will (see him in hospital),” he said of Lockyer, who is expected to be kept in overnight. “But I don’t want to get in the way and if I’m not allowed then I won’t.

“If I’m allowed I would love to go and see him, but then I think we’re so tight as a group that I’m not sure if 40-odd people are allowed to go and see him in hospital.

“We will have to check on that, but I’m just so thankful that he’s OK because that’s all that matters.

“I wasn’t really able to enjoy any celebration at the end because all I cared about was Locks.”

As for Coventry, it was a heartbreaking end to a memorable season.

Bottom of the table in October and taken over at the start of the year, boss Mark Robins was agonisingly close to leading the Sky Blues from League Two to the top flight.

“Firstly, congratulations to Luton because once the game is over and done with you’ve got to congratulate the winners,” the long-serving Coventry boss said.

“They’ve come out on top today, however tight the game may have been.

“Congratulations to them and their supporters. I think they have been outstanding all season and good luck to them moving forward.

“I think for us, certainly the opposite of their joy is pain.

“You certainly feel a bit of pain, but once that pain starts to dissipate in however long it takes for it to go, we’ve got to reflect on what an unbelievable achievement it’s been just to even be here today in a play-off final.

“The division is very, very tough as we all know and unfortunately we couldn’t make that next step.”

Lionel Messi produced a Wembley masterclass as Barcelona beat Manchester United 3-1 in the Champions League final on this day in 2011 to become European champions for a fourth time.

Pep Guardiola won his second Champions League as Barca head coach in three years after a dominant performance from his side.

They reached the final after defeating El Clasico rivals Real Madrid 3-1 on aggregate in the last four, with United sweeping aside Schalke 6-1 in their semi-final.

Guardiola’s side outplayed United in the first half, enjoying 68 per cent possession and having 22 shots, but were still level at half-time as Pedro’s opener was cancelled out by Wayne Rooney, who side-footed home from 15 yards after a one-two with Ryan Giggs.

Barca’s dominance continued after the break with Messi, who moments earlier had seen a shot cleared off the line by Patrice Evra, firing in a low shot from 25 yards.

Messi’s dribbling then caused panic in the United defence and David Villa capitalised to whip a shot into the top corner from just outside the penalty area and secure Barcelona’s third Champions League title in six years.

Eric Abidal, who had undergone surgery only two months earlier to remove a tumour in his liver, was given the honour of wearing the captain’s armband during the presentation ceremony and he was the first player to lift the trophy.

After the match Guardiola hailed Messi as “the best player I have ever seen”, while United boss Sir Alex Ferguson said: “In my time as manager it is the best team we have faced.”

Despite facing an uphill task, Jamaica’s Head coach Hugh Bradford is optimistic that his young Reggae Girlz will produce an improved performance against reigning seven-time champions United States in their second Group A contest at the Concacaf Women’s Under-20 Championship in Dominican Republic on Sunday.

The encounter to take place at the Felix Sanchez Stadium in Santo Domingo, is scheduled for 5:00 pm Jamaica time, after the Canada versus Panama curtain-raiser at 2:00 pm.

After going down 0-4 to Canada in Friday’s opener, the young Reggae Girlz are now caught in a must-win situation in order to keep hopes of securing an historic FIFA Women’s Under-20 World Cup berth alive and Bradford is backing his charges to put their best foot forward on this occasion.

United States, who hammered Panama 6-0 in their opening contest, currently head the standings on three points, same as Canada, but with a better goal difference.

“Yes, it is a difficult task but we are going to try and play our game and not worry about what the opponents will do. I know we have a lot of potential in our team and so I expect the players to go out and give off their best,” Bradford said.

Reflecting on the team’s performance against Canada, the US-based coach pointed out that the players failed to execute as instructed and, as such, were outclassed in all departments and beaten by goals from Anabelle Chukwu (39th and 45th), Olivia Smith (56^th) and substitute Renee Watson (90+4).

“I thought we could have been better, but we weren’t entirely bad. We used a lot of energy on the defensive side, didn’t press the ball enough and so we were unable to get anything out of the game,” Bradford reasoned.

“But we have to just leave that game behind us and focus on the next game. We know our performance needed to be better as a team and like I said, I expect the ladies to show some improvements here. Everybody is fine, we had our team meeting and discussed what changes needs to take place as we look ahead,” he added.

Should the Girlz pull off an unlikely upset, it would put them in a good position to secure on of two spots from the group to the knockout stage, as they are set to close against Panama on May 30, while the United States and Canada will have each other to contend with.

Meanwhile, Costa Rica and Mexico, have all but secured the two positions from Group B, with two wins each.

The two finalists and third-place team will represent the confederation at next year’s Under-20 World Cup.