DEVASTATED Hartlepool boss Neale Cooper has called on his defeated men to pick themselves up immediately and turn their attentions to life in Division Two in August.

Pool were in touching distance of a dream play-off final appearance at Cardiff's Millenium Stadium after taking the lead through young midfielder Antony Sweeney.

But, with just two minutes to go, Bristol City grabbed a late leveller through Marc Goodfellow before Christian Roberts ended any hopes Pool had of playing Sunderland and Leeds United next season.

But a tearful Cooper, who saw Micky Barron and Chris Westwood go off with injuries after Sweeney scored, insisted it is a massive blow which everyone connected with the club will just have to get over.

"It's difficult to take right now but I know one thing and that is I'm proud of all my players," he said. "But we lost two of our vital players at vital stages of this match and we could have done without that.

"Then they have gone and got a good cross in and scored the equaliser. From there everyone inside the ground are up for it and they have hit the winner.

"I'm upset but that's football. We just have to get on with it."

Pool winger Ritchie Humphreys, who tasted play-off heartbreak two years ago when he missed the crucial last spot-kick at Cheltenham, had tears in his eyes at Whaddon Park in 2002.

And, at Ashton Gate last night, he revealed this result was even harder to stomach. "The feeling was worse tonight than it was at Cheltenham," said Humphreys. "To know we have come as close as we have to reaching Cardiff is a huge blow to everyone."

North-East teams have now missed out on eight occasions through the play-offs - including the year Sunderland went up because of financial irregularities at Swindon, after the Wiltshire side had beaten them at Wembley.

But Pool, who have enjoyed the best campaign in the club's 96-year history, were still given a hero's reception at the end of the match by the travelling supporters.

Cooper added: "We have enjoyed the season and all of my players have been fantastic. The fans have been great and it's a shame that it just wasn't to be."

* Eifion Williams suffered a double blow at Ashton Gate last night.

Williams tweaked his hamstring and now looks likely to miss the Wales friendlies against Norway and Canada next week - his first international call -up.

He said: "We'll have to see but it doesn't look good. It would be devastating to miss out."

Read more about Hartlepool here.