LEE CLARK reflected on his best moment in football and admitted the "fear factor" had been if he’d let down club owner Dean Hoyle.
Manager Clark paid tribute to the chairman in the wake of last night’s dramatic penalty shoot-out victory over Bournemouth which took Huddersfield Town into the League I play-off final at Old Trafford on May 29.
The Galpharm club will discover their opponents tonight when Clark watches Peterborough try to overturn a 3-2 deficit from their semi-final first leg against MK Dons at London Road.
After watching Lee Peltier, Danny Ward and Antony Kay score in 120 minutes of excitement at the Galpharm to clinch a 4-4 aggregate with a 3-3 draw, Clark flitted from pitchside to his office during the shoot-out, when spot-kicks from Lee Novak, Ward, Kevin Kilbane and Kay did the job.
"The atmosphere was as good as anything I have experienced and the fans deserve something like this," said Clark, who has no preference as to who Town meet in the promotion decider.
"My owner deserves something, too, because he is a Huddersfield fan. His backing has been unbelievable in the two-and-a-half years I’ve been here and the fear factor for me was letting him down."
Clark had nothing but praise for his squad, who are now 27 matches unbeaten and looking to make it 28 with a place in the Championship, a decade on from their relegation to the third tier.
"We knew who was going to take our penalties, so when Bournemouth were taking them I was out on the touchline and when we were taking them, I was watching in my office," said the boss.
"I thought the players were brilliant. They responded to the setbacks and they started unbelievably with the tempo and the chances we created.
"We knew Bournemouth would keep going, but cup football, which is what it was, is all about being the winners.
"You don’t go 26 games before this unbeaten, like my players have, without desire and passion and they showed that in abundance.
"It was my most special night in football because being a manager is completely different to being a player. When you are a player you look after yourself, when you are a manager you look after 30 players and 10 staff and you have all the expectations of the supporters hanging on every decision you make. That’s why it was the best."
