John Ruddy: Wolves gave it away

FA Cup goalkeeper Ruddy was in goal as Wolves blew a two-goal lead with 12 minutes remaining on Sunday’s devastating defeat to Watford at Wembley.

The 32-year-old struggled to put into words how the players felt at the end of such a crushing defeat.

But he called for Wolves to try and end the season on a high, saying a top 10 finish was their aim.

Wolves are currently eighth, five points ahead of West Ham in 11th.

“We’ll look at what we’ve done at the end of the season, because it depends where we finish in the table,” Ruddy said.

“We’re aiming for the top 10 and we’re well on course for that.

“In that aspect it’s been a good season, and I think if you would’ve said at the start of the season that we’re going to be a top ten Premier League side and reach the semi-final of the FA Cup, we’d have bit someone’s hand off for that.

“But what’s disappointing is the manner that we’ve lost, and we’ll just have to make sure we pick ourselves up now for Southampton on Saturday.”

The game was deep into stoppage time when Wolves, 2-1 up, conceded a late penalty, with Leander Dendoncker fouling Troy Deeney.

Ruddy added: “”I think it’s always hard when you go behind and there’s so little time left. But we gave ourselves a great opportunity on Sunday.

“With 20 seconds to go until the full-time whistle and we give away a penalty. It’s one of those things – it happens.

“It’s just bitterly disappointing really because it was an opportunity to really move on and progress as a club and we didn’t take it. I can’t put it into words (the feeling among the players). We had it and we gave it away.”