It was perhaps a season that was almost doomed before it had even started for Sheffield United after they were deducted two points for defaulted transfer payments.
Despite the early setback, the Blades still amassed 90 points.
However, they finished outside the two automatic promotion spots, behind sides who both hit the 100-point mark – something that has never happened before in Championship history.
Their points tally would have seen them promoted in 14 of the previous 20 seasons in the second tier and had they not been deducted two points, 92 would have been enough in 17 of those campaigns.
Meanwhile, only Leeds United (29) won more games than Sheffield United (28) in the regular season.
They may have finished 14 points ahead of Sunderland three weeks ago but the long grind of this season ultimately counted for nothing in the end.
“It’s going to take quite a while to get over this and we’re going to have to suffer and go through the pain again,” Wilder said.
“The players will be hurting. We have to own it and suffer together. Most of all I’m disappointed for the supporters.
“Not to reward them with a win and the opportunity to play in the Premier League hurts a lot.”
In many ways, today’s heartbreak mirrored the regular season with 75% of it going to plan but ending in catastrophic fashion.
Three straight defeats by Oxford United, Millwall and Plymouth during the run-in saw United give up a five-point lead to fall to third, which was only further compounded when Burnley secured promotion with a 2-1 win over the Blades at Turf Moor on 21 April.
Wilder also said to lose in the manner they did with an injury-time goal in the final “really stings”.
“They find a fabulous winner and it’s chaos and pandemonium from their point of view,” he added
“It’s an incredibly bitter and disappointing situation we found ourselves in. The amount of games I’ve played and managed, it’s not always been a fairytale.”
But it has been very much a fairytale for Sunderland, who have been down to League One and back up again, and will return to the top flight for the first time in eight years.
On this occasion at Wembley, maybe it was the Black Cats who had all the luck.
