Usually I don't really talk about football but I think it's fitting that I mention it a little more than I usually do on this occasion. This really has been a roller coaster season, with plenty of highs and lows.

There were times where we were cruising at the top with points and games in hand and then there was a tough spell where we struggled, but over the course of the season I think the table has told an accurate story and we were just good enough to get automatically promoted.

Personally at the start of the season I knew that promotion was a realistic goal for us but I was not sure if we could really do it with a new manager and of course a host of new players. Experience tells me that either of those two factors could undermine anything, I just know it's hard to get people to gel in a short space of time.

As it turned out that couldn't have been further from the truth, as we made the best possible start to a season. I think it was the start that really set us up for what was to be a difficult second half of the season because if we didn't accumulate those points early on I think we would've have struggled. You can see that in Rochdale's final total. I'm sure if they had our start to the season they would have been joining us in League One.

Things were never going to be as rosy as they were early in the campaign and it was only a matter of time untill the bubble was going to burst. After the departure of Mike Williamson we did have that spell but like all good teams we hung in there. People have always said when things go tough it's how you react to them and you can tell that we rose above the adversity and got back on the bike as it were.

The arrival of John Akinde brought goals and as I've heard many people say goals change games. With that and breaking the record for the number of clean sheets in a season I thought we ended with all guns blazing. Frank Sinclair brought great stability to help out David McCracken and those two have struck a very consistent partnership.

From a spectators point of view it must have really been exciting to watch. Personally playing in them wasn't really quite the same experience. I remember saying to someone that the Aldershot game was the first game I had enjoyed in about 2 months of football. Why? Because of the pressure to perform. Yes it was tough but I knew it was going to be hard work and that can't always be fun.

To do it on the final day though was always going to be a cliffhanger and sure enough we were left waiting after the final whistle to see if we'd done it. To finally do it took a whole load of weight off our shoulders. We had been working so hard to get promoted and to achieve it was just brilliant. For some reason though I had mixed feelings because we lost the final game and I was disappointed to have let in the first goal in such a fashion.

Backed to the Hilt: Jamie has plenty of support on the final day

As a goalkeeper I like to think I can make it as hard as possible for the other team to score but on that occasion it was too easy. Even though it swerved, I was unsighted and someone ducked out of the way at the last second but it was still disappointing to concede in such a manner. But hey, that's goalkeeping for you. Sometimes you have it all against you and you still have to produce the goods.

People fail to realise this but what was important for me was not to let that ruin the rest of the game. There was still such a long way to go in the match and as quickly as the whole thing happened I had to let it go and move on. That's something that you have to be mentally tough to do.

No matter what you just have to be positive and believe in what you are doing and looking back at that moment I think after it happened I just got one with it and that's all you can do. As I said before it just sums up thehighs and lows of football and now I've been given time to reflect, I can just savor how wonderful it is to be promoted.

Over the last couple of weeks the play-offs have been televised and I've been lucky enough to have a few friends involved so I suppose I've had greater reason to stay interested than most. Watching it I found myself actually getting nervous for them and it made me how lucky I was not to be involved in that. It's almost like being in a lucky dip draw and I think that teams who have had less form over the season their can suddenly just find it at the right time.

You can see that in the result of the match between Shrewsbury and Bury in the League Two semi-finals. Bury clearly have been the more consistent team throughout the season and yet their season was over prematurely.

Another great thing about getting automatic promotion was that all the lads went off to celebrate in Las Vegas. I have to say before the trip it was never a place I was particularly interested in. I've always heard about it through friends and seen movies involving it but the US in general has never been a place that I've wanted to go. I couldn't have been more wrong.

Well Earned Break: The boys jetted off to Las Vegas after sealing promotion

Having been there and experienced it all, I know that I have to return! Las Vegas is larger than life and it was great to become immersed in a different culture. What struck me was how friendly people were over there, especially people I had never met before. Let's face it England is not the most friendliest place on earth and I'm not going to sugar coat that....... Why do you think us Aussies have labeled you "Whinging Poms"?!

After being to Las Vegas I want to see some other major cities in the US and find out if they actually resemble each other. Maybe that is something for the future.

For now though I am heading back to my native Australia for a good five weeks. This is something I've being looking forward to for a while and seeing my family and friends again is always such a pleasure, it's just a shame it can't happen a bit more often! So what's on my agenda down under? Well the 'State of Origin' Rugby League game between Queensland (where I'm from) and New South Wales is a major event when I'm back so that should be fun.
Going down to the beach (albeit in Winter) shall be awesome and a good friend of mine in Ollie Bozanic (who plays for Reading FC) will be coming up from Sydney to hang out in the Gold Coast with me. I'll try and keep you guys updated, don't want to make you jealous but hey - what can you do!

Aussie Pals: 'Youngy' hopes to touch base with Reading midfielder Alex Bozanic when down under

In the meantime I hope all Wanderers fans out there are enjoying the good summer weather in England and hopefully you'll hear more from me down under soon!

Keep it real,

Youngy