So near but yet so far.......

"I've missed more than 9000 shots in my career, I've lost almost 300 games.

"26 times, I've been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed.

"I've failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed."

The words of basketball legend Michael Jordan.

And a chastening reminder to all of a gold and black persuasion this morning that what doesn't kill you makes you stronger.

It can only be Wolves who end up missing out on the play-offs on goal difference by just a single goal.

Only Wolves who as events transpired would have been in there with a three goal win but could only do so by one, and that in the 87th minute.

And only Wolves who now face three long months before getting the next chance to do it all again in what will be their 19th attempt at promotion from the Championship in the last 20 years.

A quick glance back over events of recent weeks would have Mick McCarthy and company tearing their hair out for that extra goal or extra point which would have seen them over the finishing line.

That nailed-on penalty not awarded at Bristol City, the injury time equalisers conceded to Ipswich and earlier Southampton, heck, go back to the first day of the season and even a point against Watford - instead of leaking two last gasp goals to lose 2-1 - would have been enough.

But football is not about ifs, buts and maybes, instead it's hard results, and perhaps given their season Wolves have ended up just about where they deserve to be, on the outside looking in.

For that there are mitigating factors, notably injuries.

Whilst all teams suffer injuries, I'm not sure many will have lost their most influential player in the way Wolves lost Michael Kightly for four months.

Not sure that many would have seen pre-season plans disrupted in the way Wolves lost Matt Jarvis when McCarthy was hoping to blaze a trail in the division with the two pacey wingers.

And not sure many would have been able to respond from the fact that having belatedly decided Gary Breen and Jody Craddock were his favoured defensive partnership, McCarthy was only able to field the two together on ten occasions.

But even this morning that's all in the past. In the words of McCarthy Wolves have to "wipe their gobs", move on and face up to another attempt to escape their Championship purgatory.

The manager will of course have numerous critics in certain quarters - he failed to reach the play-offs after all - but it appears he has the backing of chairman Steve Morgan and the board.

In my opinion rightly so.

It hasn't been a season which has met expectations but McCarthy has still developed an exciting squad of much potential.

And only against Plymouth was he finally able to field what is understood to amount to his first choice team.

And that team will now be strengthened.

There is a hugely promising nucleus now in place - if Wolves can hang onto them all - in the likes of Wayne Hennessey, Matt Murray, Kevin Foley, George Elokobi, Kightly, Jarvis, Seyi Olofinjana, Karl Henry, Sylvan Ebanks-Blake, Andy Keogh.

What is going to happen to the three out-of-contract experienced personnel in Breen, Craddock and Michael Gray remains to be seen.

But - and it's easier said than done - just say McCarthy is able to bring in a few hard-nosed 27, 28, 29-year-olds this summer to add to that excellent young base then the future may indeed yet be old gold.

Those developing players will also come back bigger, better, stronger in August after the experiences of this long, hard season.

"I've failed over and over and over again in my life," said Jordan. "And that is why I succeed."