Portsmouth v Sunderland final

[sign of the chimes]

Wasn’t too much between the sides and you did have a couple of good headed chances that should have ended up in the net...what did surprise me from the tv was how quiet Fratton Park seemed to be probably caused but the excruciating anxiety seemed to be about the place.

Yes, it was a peculiar atmosphere - very different to the one for the league fixture between the two sides at Fratton in December. I think a combination of the nerves and Thursday evening in May contributed - plus the way the game played out. Sunderland outdid us over the 180 minutes.

It's been a decent performance over the season - most fans were hoping for play-offs at the start based on the polls on the messageboards and conversations I had with fellow supporters. Many people on the outside seem to see us as having a huge budget for League 1 (decent gates and, of late, owners with a personal fortune), but the external investment is modest and focused on maintaining and developing the infrastructure including a very old ground.

On that basis, we're led to believe our playing budget is comfortably within the Top 10 but not in the same bracket as the demoted Championship clubs or several others with owners funding a promotion push via the first team.

The way it's panned out has changed the dynamic a little, so a few other fans I've spoken to are very frustrated with missing out on the autos and then the playoffs. We were top by a little way coming in to the New Year with a gap to third place but, in all honesty, were punching above our weight a little and results were disguising some average performances. However, despite recovering from a poor January and February there was still a sense of having let an opportunity slip, especially as with three games left automatic promotion was in our own hands.

Looking forward to next season, but there will be challenges in trying to kick on over the summer that I'm sure Exeter fans will be able to relate to; in that we'll lose a few of our better performers - e.g. Matt Clarke and Jamal Lowe, to clubs in higher division and will have to try and replace with less developed players whilst also trying to improve overall results.

It will be interesting to see how you strengthen in the Summer. I think at this level it's worth giving any half competent manager three transfer windows to shape a squad as they wish so will be fascinating to see how things pan out under Matt Taylor.