JACK ROSS admitted that the pain of failing to win promotion with Sunderland meant he could take no pleasure from former club St Mirren saving their Premiership status.

The Stadium of Light boss suffered heartache after Charlton Athletic netted an injury time winner to stun the Black Cats. Ross had also previously seen his men lose at Wembley after Portsmouth beat them in the Checkatrade Trophy in March.

His old club escaped the drop after a dramatic penalty shootout win over Dundee United, but disappointed Ross took no consolation from his former club's joy.

He said: "St Mirren is inconsequential for me right now. They are a club that I had a lot of good times at and I want the best for them but right now there’s just a lot of despondency. I feel for my players.

"We had a painful experience here a couple of months ago and to lose a game in this kind of arena at any time is sore. But to lose it in that manner today with so much at stake is very painful.

"I thought we looked solid and I thought the game was heading to extra time. So to lose it like that at the end was really tough to take. It’s gutting."
Ross now faces an anxious wait to discover his fate with Sunderland in the middle of a takeover battle. And he's hoping to get the go-ahead to carry on in Wearside.

He said: "Regarding the takeover talk I have no idea. But I will continue to work to the best of my abilities. I feel I have done that for the last 12 months. I know as a football manager you are judged on the end result. But I am comfortable in how hard I work and in how relentless I am in what I am trying to do. I’ve done that for the last 12 months and it’s sore not to be rewarded for that today.

"As a manager you are judged on results and I was always clear that I wanted to get this club promoted. That’s what I’ve been striving to do and I’ve fallen short.

"But there’s a lot of things myself and my staff have done at this club that I am proud of in trying to effect the culture of the club. It’s not been easy but we’ve managed to take steps forward. We haven’t achieved our aim today but I’m proud of my players, my staff and the job we have done in trying to turn around a club that’s been heading in the wrong direction for several years.

"I will try and control my emotions in a certain way. When you take on a position of leadership and management you have to do that. But when the time comes to feel it I will feel it acutely because it is sore.

"My message to my players is they have to take strength from this setback. I’ve told them they may not understand it right now and it will be hard at the moment. But if you deal with the soreness it will stand you in good stead for the future."