Long: I felt dreadful

Long was disconsolate at the end of the cup final

Forlorn Sean Long has spoken of his despair in the wake of St Helens' Challenge Cup defeat to arch-rivals Wigan.

The scrum-half - crowned man-of-the-match 12 months ago after Saints' triumph against Bradford Bulls - was a disconsolate figure in Murrayfield after Wigan's 21-12 triumph.

And Long admitted he felt he had let Saints down after missing three conversions attempts.

"It was a dreadful feeling to lose a game like that and not to kick the goals," Long told superleague.co.uk.

"I felt I had let the boys down.

"That is the sort of thing that goes through your mind, but Wigan played well and took their chances."

He has won finals for us in the past, and I told him not to worry

Saints Tommy Martyn

Had Long's kicks been successful, Saints would have been 12-all at half-time. But team-mates refused to blame the scrum-half for the defeat.

Team-mate Tommy Martyn said he expected 25-year-old long to bounce back, and become an even better player in the future.

"We got the tries, but we couldn't get the goals. I felt sorry for Sean. He was distraught afterwards, blaming himself.

"But he can't do that - he has won finals for us in the past, and I told him not to worry.

"He would be the last person we would ever want to blame - Sean Long is Sean Long, and that is it as far as we are concerned."