Canterbury skipper Jack Delo admitted losing in the FA Vase semi-finals was a bitter pill to swallow, but he said there’s not much City would have done differently.

The 33-year-old keeper felt there was little between City and Cray Valley over the two legs, and with a bit more luck it could have been City lining- up in the final at Wembley on May 19.

The Millers went through 2-1 on aggregate after a 1-1 draw between the sides in the second leg at Salters Lane on Saturday.

Delo explained: “It’s hard to take at the minute. Obviously the boys are devastated.

“We gave everything and over the two legs we were possibly unlucky not to come out victorious and make it to Wembley.

“We knew they’d have possession, they’re a ball playing football side, with great players including a couple with Premier League experience so we knew what they were about.

“Our game plan was just to stay in the game and I thought at half-time when it was still 0-0 ‘we’ve got a good chance here’.

“Their goal kind of killed us a little bit, it was a lucky goal.

“I made a save and it just fell to the one person you don’t want it to fall, Gavin Tomlin, but I still thought if we got one more chance which we did, Gary Sayer, popped up overhead left foot by the way, he’s never done that in his life but credit to him.

“I just thought just one more chance, one more chance and I think all the boys still believed.

“We had one, (which fell to) Ryan Cooper, He said he saw it late, he thought the bloke was going to get up and win it in front of him, the next thing you know it’s on his head and it’s one of those, it’s a reaction and unfortunately it just went over the bar.

“Hindsight is a great thing. After the game you probably ask yourself a hundred different things. Should we have done this? Should we have done that? But defensively they’re solid, I don’t think they’ve conceded in the last seven or eight games so maybe a bit of nerves do come into it.

“You want to push on but you don’t want to leave gaps at the back because the whole time it’s only 1-0 you’ve got a chance but if you push forward and they do score, then you’re chasing the game even more so.

“We had a bit of a game plan and it nearly paid off but maybe it was too little, too late.

“I think with another five, 10 minutes in that game, and the same with the first leg, who knows?

“Credit to Cray, I wish them all the best. I hope they do go on and win it because you’d rather lose to the winners.”

Delo said he hoped City's players would take great pride from their achievements and from the fact they pushed Cray so hard.

He added: “That’s what I said in the changing room afterwards.

“Everyone was a bit quiet but I said listen boys all the talk’s been about them, their strikers and how many goals they’ve scored but over the two games have I really been tested?

“I said credit to you boys you’ve kept them quiet and they’ll know that, they’ll know they’ve been in a game and played against a good back four.”

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