Last night's award will be of little consolation to Chris Hughton.
Last night, his Brighton side drew 1-1 with Sheffield Wednesday as they were eliminated from the Championship playoffs 3-1 on aggregate.
It was a tough pill for the former Irish international to swallow as they lost out to a team they finished 15 points ahead of in the league. Automatic promotion was also tantalisingly within Brighton's grasp. Just two goals separated them from Middlesbrough.
Boro were also the side Brighton faced on the final day of the season. A 1-1 draw at the Riverside saw Aitor Karanka's side return to the top tier of English football. The game featured the sending off of Dale Stephens just minutes after he had equalised for Brighton. It's a refereeing decision about which Hughton remains aggrieved.
Still, it was a real achievement for Hughton to get his side within touching distance of the Premier League. The two sides that finished about them - Champions Burnley and Middlesbrough - were both heavy spenders in the transfer market.
Both spent circa £9 million each on strikers. Burnley for Andre Gray and Boro for Jordan Rhodes.
Hughton received the recognition of his peers last night as he was named LMA Championship Manager of the Year.
In the @SkyBetChamp, the #ManagerOfTheYear award went to @OfficialBHAFC's Chris Hughton. pic.twitter.com/nTguuMCWuo
— The Football League (@football_league) May 17, 2016
