IT was agony - with no ecstasy for Bolton fans. But as thousands made the the long trek back home knowing their Wembley dream was over - to many the Wanderers were still Number One.

The Super Whites performance was second to none - there was no shame in coming second.

And everyone from MPs to celebrities and from the ordinary fans in the street - the verdict was: "They did us proud."

The mood coming back up the motorway was sombre, but unbowed.

The players put their hearts and souls into the 120 minutes of play - followed by the agonising penalties - and every second was cheered on by the Bolton contingent. Mugged

But comedian Stu Francis wasn't laughing as he made his way back to Bolton. He summed up how most of the supporters felt.

"We were mugged and robbed. If that was a Premiership side - bring on the Premiership.

"We were singing and dancing coming down - it's a bit different on the way home. But I will defy anyone to spot the difference between Bolton and Villa. When you think how many millions their side cost and what ours is worth. The lads did us proud and the crowd never stopped cheering. When they lost the penalties, they applauded them. But like Cinderella it is best to have gone to the ball than not at all."

Walking back down Wembley Way, still wearing his supporter's scarf, MP David Crausby reflected: "There is no shame. At the end of the day, Bolton were the best team."

Stuck

And he added: "They played incredibly well. It is dreadfully unfair when a match goes to penalties. It has been a good game and we have had our money's worth. It was a credit to both teams and to the fans who were very good natured."

And the town's Mayor, councillor John Monaghan and his wife Beryl, the Mayoress, paid their own penalty for their Wembley trip - they ended up stuck in a traffic jam. But the Mayor reflected on the loss saying: "Somebody had to win and there is nothing you can do about penalties. The fans did Bolton proud and it was a good atmosphere."

Royle Family star Ralf Little missed most of the match because he was working, but had to endure that last 10 minutes of penalties.

"I hate penalties at the best of time. We'd had such a good run."

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