Shoot-out dismay adds to Thompson hatred of Hampden

The millionaire, who is suffering from terminal cancer, has witnessed United lose numerous cup finals in Glasgow in the past but even though he remains hugely disappointed with the outcome on Sunday he believes more big days lie ahead.

Thompson admitted: "Like every Dundee United supporter, because of our history there, Hampden is a place I hate.

"So often in the past we've gone to the national stadium and been hammered by Celtic and Rangers but that wasn't the case.

"Technically we were the better team on Sunday and coming on the back of our midweek game against Celtic, I think we have showed that good things lie ahead for this club.

"With ten minutes to go we were eating up everything Rangers had to offer and I really thought we were going to lift the cup.

"Sadly it didn't work out that way and having put so much time and effort into this club I found losing more difficult to take than anyone.

"But Craig Levein and I are long enough in the tooth to know you just have to draw a line under the weekend and move on. The players were understandably down about the outcome but Craig will get them lifted for next Saturday when we play Motherwell – a game that is very important to us if we are to take the wee chance we've got to get into Europe."

Meanwhile, Craig Conway last night told team-mate Mark Kerr he is not to blame for United losing the final, because his bad luck in inadvertently setting up Rangers' Kris Boyd for a late equaliser could have happened to anyone.

The Tannadice midfielder was short with a pass back to goalkeeper Lukasz Zaluska with only five of the 90 minutes remaining and watched in horror as Boyd nipped in to equalise.

Even though Mark de Vries put United ahead again in extra-time, Boyd pounced once more to send the game to penalties.

But Conway, a second-half substitute, said: "Mark has said he feels he's let everyone down but that's not true. He was one of the best players on the park, he was all over the place and bossed their midfield at times.

"He made a mistake, a split-second decision and it didn't come off but even then Kris Boyd still had to pull out an amazing shot to finish it.

"It was bad luck and every single one of the lads has told him not to dwell on it. That didn't cost us the game, we had other chances over the piece to win but it just wasn't to be.

"I can't explain how we all feel because it's so gutting but that's football

. We win and lose as a team and that's one of our biggest assets – we'll all bounce back from this."

United's players went back to Tannadice on Sunday night but the champagne was kept firmly on ice.