YOU did us proud lads! That was the message from Blackburn Rovers fans after their team suffered the agony of losing an FA Cup semi-final in extra time.

The thousands of fans at the match and hundreds more watching in pubs across East Lancashire experienced every emotion as Rovers came from a goal down to take the game to hot favourites Chelsea.

But a battling second-half display by Mark Hughes' men wasn't enough and the champions won 2-1.

Blackburn MP Jack Straw, who was at Old Trafford to watch the match with his family, said: "I thought we played fantastically and it was a real shame for us in the end.

"I am completely exhausted and hoarse from all the shouting.

"This kind of performance shows that we are a top-flight club which is going places.

"It would have been a dream come true to be one of the first teams to contest the FA Cup final at the new Wembley."

Almost 23,000 fans made the trip to Manchester to watch the semi-final with transport firm Fraser Eagle laying on 55 coaches to take fans to the game.

The streets around Blackburn were deserted as kick-off approached with pubs and bars packed with supporters watching the game on big screens.

At the Oak Tree pub on Livesey Branch Road, Blackburn, it was standing room only and fans nearly took the roof off when Jason Roberts scored a 64th minute equaliser.

But although Rovers dmoniated much of the second half, their hopes of appearing at the first FA Cup final at the new Wembley Stadium was not to be.

Angela Ball, 33, of Langdale Road, a regular at the pub and lifetime Rovers fan, said: "We were robbed. The played really fantastically but the best team lost."

"They have done us proud, absolutely proud.

Tommy Wignall, 48, of Livesey Branch Road, who works in paper making was devastated by the final score.

He said: "I am gutted. In the second half they played really well so I am really gutted because we should have won.

"I thought we would go all the way to Wembley."

Cheryl Wright, 42, a housewife who lives in Zebudah Street, said: "I think they worked hard and tried hard and they should have won.

"It was a shame but they did us proud."

At the Aqueduct, on Bolton Road, the pub was packed, even though many regulars had got tickets for the big match.

Landlord Paul Howarth, 39 , said: "I did not expect it to be as busy as it was as 135 regulars set off for Manchester this morning.

"We have had people in here since 8am and when they left another lot of fans came in."

Ronald Howarth, 65, a lifetime Blackburn Rovers fan who lives on St Aidans Close, said: "We played well. "