THE PARTY`S OVER...

....."it`s time to call it a day.  They`ve burst your pretty balloon and taken the moon away.  It`s time to wind up the masquerade."  These snatched lyrics from a timeless classic seem somehow to catch the mood as yet another  football season draws to a close.   Well, almost.  Just things like play-off finals to determine promotion, relegation or stagnation, then the European Championships and all that jazz before the bandwagon leaves the stable for another roller coaster ride.

Forgive me.  I am in danger of losing myself in yet another lyrical fantasy world.  But I confess to having mixed feelings about the end of another season as far as the teams I follow are concerned.  In one sense I`m heartily glad that it`s just about all over and I can look forward to a stressful few weeks before it starts all over again, but that is met with a tinge of disappointment that, once again, the three teams I am left to follow have all contrived to lose again.

Perhaps I`ll start with hopefully the worst damaging defeat, which came at the London Stadium as Southampton capitulated to yet another 3-0 defeat against West Ham.  It typified the season for the Saints really - a bright start that led to nothing followed by a pretty dismal end which also led to nothing.  Hard to believe that back in November the Saints were top of the Premier League beating the likes of Liverpool and Manchester City before a dreadful run which saw 19 league defeats overall and conceding more goals than any other club in the Premier League except relegated West Brom.

OK we scraped through the season by missing relegation, finished 15th, lost in the FA Cup semi-final but in truth it was a pretty dreadful season, which has left worrying questions about next season and the need for a wide ranging overhaul of much of the squad, the coaching staff and most importantly the ownership.  Surely there is a guardian angel out there somewhere willing to invest all his or her money, rid us of the absent non-investing Chinese owner and take us back to the promised land of mid table obscurity?

The next two reports cover yet more damaging results.  Last night the televised second leg play-off semi-final between Forest Green Rovers and Newport County was a game of proper football with so much riding on it.  Rovers were 2-0 down from the first leg but went 2-0 up within eight minutes to level the aggregate score.  Then 3-0 up early in the second half only for Newport to come back with two goals to bring the aggregate score to 4-3 in their favour and although Rovers scored another, it was Newport who went on to score again in the 118th minute - yes, that deep into extra time - to secure their place in next week`s Wembley final. Although  Forest Green  won the game 4-3 on the night, sadly for them the 5-4 aggregate score was a case of winning the battle but not the war.

So near and yet so far.  The Nailsworth faithful, whilst disappointed with the result, are full of praise for the team`s effort last night and proud to be Rovers fans - wishing Newport all the best for their place in the final against Morecambe.   Such is life in League Two, which has so much to commend it.

Lastly, yet more disappointment for Brechin City fans whose 67-years stay in the Scottish League came to an end following their 3-1 aggregate loss in their own play-off final to Kelty Hearts, who now take Brechin`s place in Scottish League Two.  Brechin, meanwhile, are now consigned to the outposts of the Highland League but visitors to Brechin`s Glebe Park will surely be in awe of the famous hedge if not the opposition..  

So, pretty balloons severely burst all round for me.  I`ll end the season with another visit to that classic song. "The party`s over.  The candles flicker and dim.  Now you must wake up.  All dreams must end. The party`s over.  It`s all over, my friend." (At least for another season.)