I WAS delighted to pick up a winner's medal with my former Carlisle United team-mates after their excellent Conference play-off final victory.

It was a great day at Stoke's Britannia Stadium and fully deserved for Carlisle because the lads worked their socks off all season.

An occasion like that makes me want to achieve something very similar at Worcester.

When I left Brunton Park for Worcester, I knew Carlisle had the ability and determination to go up. It was nice to be there with them as they finished the job.

I managed to say farewell properly to Carlisle supporters and there was no better place as they got themselves back into the Football League.

I played 18 games for Carlisle and scored seven goals before joining City, so I'd like to think I played a big part in their success.

It's a massive club that de-serves to be in the Football Lea-gue, although they had to earn the right to be there. You need to work hard for that right and that's what everybody at Carlisle did.

The same could be said for Altrincham. It was a fantastic achievement for them to beat Eastbourne Borough and take their place in the Conference. I'm really happy for them.

But it made me think that it could have been us, rather than Alty, celebrating.

Our game at Moss Lane last month was a crucial one for both of us. Beating Alty would have given us a small chance of making the play-offs.

It makes you look back at Adam Webster's missed penalty and wonder what could have been had he scored.

Instead, Alty made it and enjoyed a terrific run in the play-offs. They had to do it the hard way though, winning three play-off matches away from home.

But you have to feel sorry for the other play-off teams, especially Nuneaton Borough and Droylsden.

If you finish fifth you are delighted, but perhaps not so if you finish second or third after missing out on the title. I think the system is perhaps a little bit unfair on those sides.

Maybe there is a way of giving sides finishing second or third an advantage other than playing at home, perhaps giving them a goal start.

Nuneaton finished 12 points higher than Altrincham and that's the equivalent of winning four extra games.

Perhaps they should have been given a more appropriate advantage in the play-offs, but what that should be I don't know. However, that's taking absolutely nothing away from Altrincham.

I think our 3-1 league victory over Droylsden knocked them back. They were in terrific form before they came here and really fancied themselves for promotion. It's not happened for them, but I expect them to be among the strongest sides for next season.

It's going to be a very tough year next season in Nationwide North, maybe more so than last time now all the teams have looked at each other.