VETERAN Reading FC forward Yann Kermorgant revealed his devastation after his record-breaking season ended in heartbreak at Wembley Stadium on Monday.

Kermorgant, 35, topped the Royals’ goal-scoring charts this season with a whooping 19 league goals to his name - his personal best in a single campaign.

But the Frenchman could not quite fire Reading back to the Premier League as Royals crashed out of the Championship play-off final to Huddersfield Town on penalties.

Kermorgant stepped up to the 12-yard mark to send Terriers’ keeper Danny Ward the wrong way in a gruelling penalty shootout, but misses from Liam Moore and Jordan Obita gifted Town the opportunity to secure their place in the top-flight next season.

Speaking after the cruel end to a stellar season, Kermorgant asserted: “Penalty shoot-outs are a lottery. One team is left really happy and one team is left really sad. Unfortunately it hasn’t gone our way.

“We need to be proud of what we have done this season but this will stay in our minds for a long time.

“It was a really tight game, we we defended hard and they defended very deep, I think both teams were scared of conceding a goal.

“The feeling is just sad, we would have loved to have been the winning team but anything can happen in a penalty shootout.

“We were in front after Ali Al-Habsi’s save but football can be a cruel game and the result is really tough to take.

“I have nothing to say other than we have done really well this season. We made it to the final and we needed to win it but we didn’t.”

Reading Chronicle:

Liam Moore shows his disappointment after missing a penalty in the shoot-out against Huddersfield.

Kermorgant revealed he was quick to put his arm around defenders Moore and Obita and encouraged them to keep their heads held high.

He stated it took courage for the young duo to step forward and take a spot-kick and insisted they cannot be blamed for Reading missing out on Premier League football next season.

Kermorgant continued: “Anybody can miss, you never do it on purpose. You have to stick together as a team and it was tough for them both to miss.

“There is no point in blaming anyone, we said before the penalty shootout that we just need to do what we can.”