Sean Winter insists it feels like he’s achieved nothing at East Kilbride after they came up short in the SPFL play-offs once again.
Kilby were this season bidding to banish the pain of their penalty shootout defeat to Cowdenbeath two years ago, but on Saturday they were brushed aside by Highland champions Cove Rangers in the second leg of their play-off semi-final.
They lost 3-0 in Aberdeen and 5-1 on aggregate, leaving them staring at a seventh successive season in the Lowland League.
Cove 3 East Kilbride 0 (Agg:5-1): Cove cruise past Kilby into play-off final
Despite Winter winning two league titles, and countless cups during four campaigns with the club, he said: “It still feels like I’ve achieved nothing.
“It’s all about promotion in this league and when you don’t get that it’s tough to take. We know the setup, we know how it works, but when you put all that effort in to winning a league and then you fall at the play-offs, it’s like it’s all been for nothing.
“I’m still devastated.
"I've won two leagues in four seasons and we finished second last year as well.
"It's been a frustrating season for me. I've had a few injuries and when I came back I found it hard to get back in the side because we kept winning games.
"I'd rather we beaten the way Cove beat us - they were a better team than us - than how we lost it two years ago to Cowdenbeath. We were the better team then but it came down to penalties.
East Kilbride's Sean Winter: Nerves got the better of us against Cove
“It's hard to take and now we’ve got a full year to go before we can hope to try again.
"But it’s going to be difficult. The league is getting better every season. We just have to give it our best and go again.”
Cove Rangers now face Berwick tomorrow in the play-off final, which is also played over two legs.
