Coventry City's Premier League dream over after penalty despair

A massive ovation rang out around Wembley for the Coventry players at the end of the match

The Sky Blue army travelled in their thousands to Wembley to drive Coventry City towards the untold riches of the Premier League, only to endure the heartbreaking, gut-wrenching torment of defeat in a penalty shootout.

But once the tears subside, everyone associated with Coventry City will surely be left to reflect on a remarkable revival that brought Mark Robins' team to within touching distance of a return to English football's top division after an absence of 22 years.

"It's the cruellest way to lose any cup final," Coventry's 1987 FA Cup-winning goalkeeper Steve Ogrizovic told BBC CWR..

"I feel so desperately sorry for the players but they've got to be proud of the season. There's so much fight and determination in this squad.

"The fans are going to be very down but you have to say thanks to the players, it's been a season to remember."

Under gorgeous Wembley skies, and despite major problems connected to Chiltern Railways, Coventry fans painted the home of English football sky blue for several hours leading up to kick off.

Many fans speaking to BBC CWR before the match were cautiously optimistic, but most acknowledged the scale of the challenge

The game kicked-off with Coventry and Luton fans giving raucous backing to their teams, but silence fell over Wembley after just eight minutes when Luton captain Tom Lockyer collapsed on the pitch before being taken to hospital.

Luton dominated the first half, and were 1-0 ahead at half time in front of more than 87,000 fans.

• Luton win shootout to reach Premier League

• 'If I didn't love Luton I'd back Coventry'

• Sky Blues memorabilia fills Coventry emporium

A much improved second half saw Gustavo Hamer equalise, sending the Coventry sections of Wembley into delirium

Supporters who'd seen their team struggling suddenly saw the Premier League within sight again

The atmosphere as the game wore on stirred memories of Coventry's famous FA Cup win over Tottenham in 1987

But as the clock ticked towards full time, the tension was palpable

And the 30 extra minutes only heightened the tension as supporters began to consider the reality of a nerve-shredding penalty shootout

Fans could hardly bear to watch as the two teams took part in the penalty shootout

And after 11 successful penalties, the match was decided in the cruellest fashion by Fankaty Dabo's miss

In purely emotional terms, Saturday's post-match scenes were perhaps not massively different to the day Coventry were relegated from the top flight in May 2001.

And that set in motion a decline for most of the next two decades.

In 2005 they were forced to leave their Highfield Road home; and just two years later the Sky Blues were saved from potential extinction after Sisu's late takeover.

By 2013 they were embroiled in a rent row with the city council, so ended up moving to Northampton.

The Sky Blues moved back to their home at the Ricoh Arena the following year, with fellow tenants Wasps now their new landlords.

But in 2019, they had to move again, to Birmingham City's St Andrew's ground, and spent two seasons there.

And even this season started badly - bottom of the league, without a pitch, having to postpone four home games and then even briefly without a ground too when they were served with the threat of an eviction by the stadium's new owners.

So near and yet so far - but manager Mark Robins has clearly rebuilt the link between club and supporters

Having come so close to the Premier League, fans will now be looking to their new owner Doug King, chief executive of Stratford-upon-Avon-based oilseed processing facility Yelo Enterprises, who completed his purchase of the club in January.

What investment will be made to develop a squad attempting to reach what is widely regarded as the toughest league in world football?

"It was really disappointing, but what teams tend to do is go up on the back of reaching the play-offs in the previous season, so it's about consistency now," said former Coventry winger Gary McSheffrey, speaking on BBC CWR.

"They need to recruit well, keep their best players and try to build on this next season.

"That's what Coventry have got to aim for."

A show of defiance from proud Coventry fans on the day they came so close to the Premier League