Witham Town chairman Tony Last admits it will be tough for the team to pick themselves up for tomorrow night's play-off semi-final with Needham Market.
Victory at Cheshunt would've seen Witham crowned champions, but they were held to a 1-1 draw, which meant VCD – who trounced Romford 6-0 – won the title.
Manager Garry Kimble and goalkeeper Martyn Guest – whose poor kick had led to Cheshunt's equaliser late in the first half – both left the field in tears after missing out on the title.
And Last said: "It's going to be hard on Tuesday, our boys are on the floor in there.
"The goalkeeper's in tears, the manager's in tears, it meant so much to them. We got 98 points and didn't get promoted and it's a bit of a gutter.
"But that's football, we've got home advantage on Tuesday, we've only lost once at home in the league this season so hopefully we can go again.
"We can go in with confidence but we've got so many players missing – today has been costly, two bad injuries and we've got two more suspended for Tuesday now, it's not going to help at all."
Kimble was inconsolable as the teams left the field, and Last said that was the measure of the manager he has.
"He's a winner," he added. "When we took him on, I was the one who said we'll take him on and go on a ride, and it's been a superb ride.
"He got us up from the Essex Senior League, he got us into the play-offs last year and we're in the play-offs this year with one of the smallest budgets in the league.
"We hit the post, the bar, but it's one of those things, you have to take it on the chin. It's hard but you have to take it on the chin.
"It's a good job for Cheshunt we didn't win because our fans would've drunk the bar dry."
