Former Derry City winger Stephen McLaughlin fulfilled almost every young boy’s dream by winning a cup final at Wembley on Saturday, as Southend United claimed the League Two Promotion Play-off with a shootout win over Wycombe Wanderers.

The 24 year-old Inishowen man, currently on loan from Nottingham Forest, earned his starting place after coming off the bench in the semi-final win over Stevenage as his goal and assist swung that game in Southend’s favour.

McLaughlin played the first hour of Saturday’s game, where his trademark marauding runs were a feature, and, although frustrated at being substituted by manager Phil Brown, he admitted it was an experience he will never forget.

“I was disappointed to be replaced but it was still great to get the win,” he told donegalnow.com. “I’ve been taken off in most of the games I’ve played for Southend so it wasn’t unexpected but I felt I was doing well.

“The experience was unbelievable though and I’m delighted for them that they’ve been promoted. They’re a great club and the fans were brilliant to me down there.”

The Clonmany Shamrock’s club man was roared on at the home of football by a strong and vocal contingent of family and friends and he revealed that giving them a day out to remember had been a motivating factor in the play-off series.

“I was back at the Isle of Doagh a few weeks ago and some of the family said they’d come over for the final if I got there, so I wanted to do it for them,” he revealed.

“There was nearly 30 of them over, it’s not hard to pick out the Irish heads in the crowd and I saw them sitting up behind the dugout before the game. The support I get from home is unbelievable and it was a real boost to see them there.

“I managed to play my way onto the team after doing well in the semi-final. I was disappointed to be dropped for the first leg of the play-off but I really wanted to get the chance to play at Wembley so that was my motivation when I came on for the second leg.

“It’s a shock to the system when you first walk into Wembley, we went there and had a look around the day before the game and get our bearings and I was taken aback by how big it was.

“I’ve had the experience of playing at the Aviva with Derry City and that was probably more intimidating for me at the time, it’s hard to choose which was better though as they were both a great experience.”

With a year left to run on his contract at Forest, McLaughlin hasn’t given up on making the first team breakthrough at the City Ground but he knows his future there will depend on whether or not he is in manager Dougie Freedman’s plans.

“I’ll get back over to Ireland this week and then I’m due back in Nottingham at the end of June for fitness testing before preseason training,” he revealed. “Dougie is a straight talker and he will tell me exactly where I stand and we’ll take it from there.

“The football in League Two was very physical but I think the experience will stand me in good stead no matter what happens in the future. You have to be able to handle yourself but I felt I did well and was able to deal with that side of things.”

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