ALLOA skipper Graeme Holmes says losing out on penalties to Brechin City in the Championship playoff final was the worst way to lose.

The Wasps won an incredible game 4-3, fighting back to level the tie after their first-leg defeat, and Holmes revealed that the players were distraught after their efforts counted for nothing.

And the captain admitted it was difficult to put his feelings into words after coming so close to returning to the second tier.

Holmes told Advertiser Sport: “It’s the worst way to lose a game, especially one like that where the boys have fought so hard to get back into it. Three times we conceded and three times we came back. It felt like we had the momentum and that it was going to be our day. There are not many words that can sum up how we’re feeling just now.

“When Dylan Mackin scored I had to check what the score was because I was losing count! It was such an open game, probably more so than either team would have liked. There were chances aplenty and unfortunately we just didn’t quite manage to get that two-goal gap. It was a good game for the neutrals but not so much for us.”

The Wasps swung from despair to elation and back again as the see-saw game raged from end to end, and Holmes lamented the fact that his side were just unable to get their noses in front in the tie.

He said: “It was an emotional rollercoaster. We were really up against it when we went behind but then we fought back and got right back in it. We went from major highs to major lows and back again very quickly. I’m just gutted that we couldn’t find that extra gear and get over the line.”

Despite the disappointment of missing out on promotion, Holmes reckons the Wasps will use it as motivation to come back stronger and win promotion next season.

He added: “You learn more about yourself in defeat. Nobody ever wants to feel that but we have got to use it positively. All the boys who are here next year will take it into next year, and I’m sure we’ll channel it the right way. It will probably be a long summer and it might not be until the first ball is kicked that we actually shake the feeling off, but we will use it as motivation to go one better next season.”