Boss Joe Royle conceded that West Ham had been the better side on the night as the Blues went out of the play-offs at the semi-final stage for the sixth time in seven attempts. Royle was particularly impressed with Hammers' strikers Marlon Harewood and Bobby Zamora.

Royle said: “They were better than us in many areas of the pitch and their front two showed the extra quality at this level.

"It's not time for recriminations, though. I won't be criticising the players because they have been fantastic this season and nearly worked a soccer miracle.

"They have done brilliantly to get to third in the table and I only have good words to say about them this year.

"When you look at the team, we are a collection of a couple of senior professionals, a few free transfers and one buy, so they have been brilliant.

"I am not going to say it's not disappointing, of course it is, it hurts. I will go away fairly quickly and get some reading done. It's hard to take and the players will feel it as well, just as they did last summer.

"But they've got six weeks break and we will see what transpires as to who will be here and who will not.”

"We have been there all season and led the table for a long time, but it's not worked out for us.

"I would have taken the play-offs with both hands if they had been offered to us at the start of the season. To finish third and lose out, there is a sense of injustice but that's the way it is.

"The play-offs are a lottery, a cup competition, you have to take it as it is. I'm not as fan of them and would have held that same view if we had won through them, but now I will take a break and then start again.”

West Ham boss Alan Pardew was unsurprisingly pleased with his team: "We came here with a different tactical plan and the players applied that to the letter.

"After an initial hairy start, we grabbed the game by the scruff of the neck and I thought we were brilliant. It was a pleasure to watch.

"I remember last year we played so well in the second leg of the semi-final against Ipswich and everyone was jumping up and down, but we went and lost the final.

"We are not jumping up and down on this occasion, but we have played well and those players are a credit to West Ham.”

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