Season not a failure - McAllister

Gary McAllister aims to lift his men for another promotion push (Getty)

Leeds United boss Gary McAllister insists that their season has not been a 'failure', despite Sunday's play-off final defeat to Doncaster Rovers.

Leeds battled through their pre-season 15-point deduction - and a change of manager - to reach the play-offs, winning 27 games in the process.

"The facts say we didn't win promotion," said McAllister.

"But with 27 wins, just eight defeats and second highest scorers, it can't be described as a failure."

The West Yorkshire club would have been automatically promoted in second place if they had not been docked the 15 points for breaking the Football League's rules on insolvency.

But McAllister points out that is now history, telling BBC Radio Leeds: "We go away and regroup.

"We come back fighting and start next season on the same number of points as everyone else."

Leeds' hoodoo in finals hit them once more at Wembley, as they failed to score for the third consecutive time in a final.

They lost 3-0 to Watford in the Championship play-off final at Cardiff in 2006, having also gone down 3-0 to Aston Villa in the 1996 League Cup final at the old Wembley.

Excepting the 1992 Charity Shield victory over Liverpool, Leeds' last winner at Wembley was 36 years ago - from Allan Clarke in the 1972 FA Cup final win over Arsenal.