TOWN captain Nathan Thompson has described the opening minutes of today’s play-off final as the worst of his career.

Thompson won a race against time to be fit to lead out his side at Wembley only for his dream to come crashing down around him as he was stretchered off after three minutes, with the same hamstring injury.

The reoccurrence of his injury came in the process of giving away a foul against Jermaine Beckford in the opening three minutes, before seeing the Preston striker beat him from the resulting set-piece to open the scoring.

When asked if the opening three minutes at Wembley were the worst opening to a game he replied: “Quite possibly.

“The ball came over the top and I was chasing after it and as soon as I sprinted to catch him up it just banged in there and it was probably naive of me to think that I would be able to carry on.

“I was probably unclear when the set-piece came in, I was wasn’t fully focussed on it, I was worried about the injury itself, and Beckford slipped in front of me as well and it was a double whammy.

“We didn’t ever want to give them anything to hang onto.

“The way they set up was sitting behind the ball and hitting us on the counter attack style, and for them to score a goal inside the first five minutes is absolutely perfect for them.

“To have to be stretchered off in front of family and everybody here is extremely disappointing.”

Thompson missed the remainder of the game as he sat in the medical room at Wembley getting treatment, but had a message for the fans who stayed until the end of the match.

“It was only the last five minutes when I came back out to say thank you to the fans because they have been incredible all season,” he added.

“Even when we were 4-0 down, the majority of them were still here and that sums them up, they have been fantastic for us.

“The players were extremely disappointed.

“They are a good honest bunch of lads and we honestly thought we could win today.

“They have got the summer to reflect on it and then they’ll come back.

“It is a fresh season and it is now a bigger incentive.”