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Crystal Palace manager Neil Warnock paid a heartfelt tribute to his players after watching his men lose out to Bristol City in a hard fought Play-Off Semi Final.

Reflecting on a campaign that so nearly could have ended with an unlikely return to the Premiership, Warnock was quick to heap praise on his squad and the overall transformation he had seen from them.

"This is has probably been one of my most successful seasons I ever had really, when I look at the raw material I started with," he said.

"I've been round the dressing room tonight talking to everyone of them. As I talked to them, I told them what I thought when I came and what I think now. And they have all been absolute revelations. I'm very proud of them tonight, I couldn't be any prouder."

On the second leg of the semi-final itself, Warnock was pleased with the effort he had seen and was philosophical about Ben Watson's penalty miss.

"It was good to come and play. I could tell that the Bristol City lads and their fans knew they were in a game," he said.

"The penalty I think would have won the game. I could see their faces and that would have killed them off completely. But that's life. Ben has guts to take it, so I can't knock him. I can't even watch them! Never mind how he takes them.

"So it's one of those things and he'll have to live with that. But you can't fault anyone like that. He's a genuine player.

"There are a few tears in the dressing room but that is how it is."

Warnock also hinted that he would have possibly liked to have had a bit more physical presence available, as he felt that was ultimately the key to defeating Gary Johnson's men.

"It's been disappointing to lose Scowcroft and Shefki Kuqi. Because I thought when we beat Bristol we had a physical presence up there, which we haven't been able to use. Which is food for thought."

Looking forward, Warnock was reluctant to talk too much about next season but did reveal he would be sitting down with the Chairman Simon Jordan this weekend and that Palace's young stars would still very much be a feature.

"I'll be having a chat with the chairman. It's been a long season this year for me. I thought I would have been on a cruise ship by now retiring having kept Sheffield United up for the second year. But it's not been like that, funny how football changes.

"The young stars they want to stay. They want to play football, and where are they going to play anywhere else? No other club in the Championship will play as many as we have."

12:15pm Wednesday 14th May 2008

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