​No repeat of 2009 – the day our play off dream died… for another year! Preston fan John Smith assesses loss at Sheffield United

With the home side needing a win to secure an automatic promotion slot I went into this game fully expecting our outside play-off hopes to be finally extinguished.

But as it turned out, after Birmingham had taken the lead a 35 yard wonder strike from Paul McKenna followed by a last minute free kick by Ross Wallace sealed an unexpected win which temporarily punctured the home side’s promotion hopes.

The unexpected win set up a dramatic final day shoot-out at Deepdale against QPR and after another pulsating game we did eventually manage to get one of those coveted play-off spots.

However the promotion dreams that season eventually died in a second leg play off tie at Bramall Lane coincidentally the venue for our game on Saturday.

The Blades were also in second place but had already secured promotion in midweek so I was hoping that they might have had a celebratory tipple or 10 after this and would not be up to their A-game on Saturday which might turn the result in our favour.

Walking up to the ground the adrenaline was flowing that fast into my bloodstream the knot in my stomach made me feel like I was about to do a bungee jump rather than attend a football match.

Although I was hoping that this could be one of those monumental days out that I would remember for years to come deep down as I thought last week the outcome of this game would result in me spending a subdued evening in The Heartbreak Hotel.

After a first half in which we battled well but could not manage a decent shot on target we were up against it once the hosts took the lead shortly before the break.

Manager Ryan Lowe did go for broke in the second half by fielding three strikers in a more attacking formation but after a brief moment of optimism when one of the substitutes Liam Delap equalised the changes proved to be of a kamikaze nature when the home side rattled in a further three goals.

With our play off hopes now finally over it was now time for my blood pressure to calm down and as I reflected on the season on the journey home I came to the conclusion that our failure to make the play-offs was more down to a dismal period during the winter.

That’s when we lost five consecutive home matches rather than what the desperate performance devoid of any real game plan produced on Saturday.

As most North End fans will tell you it is always the hope which kills you but the hope is also the reason that we spend our money and put in the miles on the road year after year even if at times like this it feels like you get very little out of it all.