Darnell Furlong believes finishing in a Sky Bet Championship Play-Off position is a “massive achievement” for West Bromwich Albion when considering the strength of the division.
The Baggies secured a fifth-placed finish and a shot at promotion to the Premier League following a 3-0 triumph over Preston North End on the final day of the 2023/24 campaign.
The right-back won the penalty which Alex Mowatt converted for the hosts’ first, provided the throw-in for Kyle Bartley’s header for the second and slotted into the back of the net himself to make it three for Carlos Corberán’s men.
Furlong says it was amazing to play such a big part on such a crucial day and insists the squad are all excited to take on Southampton over two legs in the semi-finals.
The No.2 said: “It’s brilliant. It’s really nice. It’s been a long time coming and we got a bit nervous towards the end with how long it took, but we got there in the end.
“To finally do it and get in the play-offs is great.
“There were definitely some nerves because as players we know what was on the game, but we’re professionals and these are the games we play football for.
“We went out there and we were confident in our ability and we knew we could beat Preston, so it was just a case of going out there and doing our best.
“It was really nice to contribute to every single goal. The moment I was happiest with was the penalty for the first goal. I feel like that goal lifted a bit of weight off our shoulders.
“Mowwy calmly put it away. There are no nerves with that guy at all.
“It was great to score on a day as big as this. The fans went nuts because it kind of secured it all at that point.
“The lads didn’t rest though and we fought on and kept a clean sheet, so we’re all really happy with the performance.
“It’s a massive achievement for us to finish in the play-offs. The league has been really tough this year. The quality which came down from the Premier League is crazy and Ipswich have had a brilliant season.
“To be in the top six in the league is where we thought we’d be and we’re pleased to achieve it.
“The atmosphere was fantastic and it was great to have the fans behind us.
“We’ll all be excited for the play-offs now. It’ll be two tough games, but we’ll go out there with a plan and we’ll see how it goes.”
