Welwyn Garden City boss Marc Weatherstone has called this season "a failure" but has vowed to come back stronger next year and get the job done.
The Citizens ended their Southern League Division One Central campaign with a whimper, going down 3-0 away to Cirencester Town, a fourth loss in their last five games as fatigue from a backed up fixture list left them ninth and short of the play-offs by five points.
But while the self-assessment may be somewhat harsh, it has given the City boss even more drive to achieve the aim next time out.
Weatherstone said: "People wrote us off at the start of season but I'm a born winner and I don't go into any season thinking we’re going to be mid-table.
"That’s where everyone thought Welwyn Garden City would be but our target, from a meeting we had at the start of season, was the play-offs.
"That's always where our focus was. We kept it quiet and in-house, I don't like putting it out there, but we failed, or I failed. I failed to get in the play-offs.
"So, for me, it’s deflating. It's not good but I understand that people see us as a small club with a small budget and that we are punching maybe.
"In my head we’re not. I think we should be in the play-offs with the players I’ve recruited, they are 100 per cent good enough.
"The table doesn’t lie, we’re not good enough, but I thought individually, we should have been in the play-offs.
"It's not to be and it’s a disappointing season in the end, the negative of not being in the play-offs will outweigh the positives.
"But there are a lot of positives.
"Planning started two weeks ago for next season and maybe I was a bit naïve but I was planning for both step three and four.
"I’ll go to plan B in terms of the step four plan and we will come again.
"And the target will remain the same net season, the target will be the play-offs."
The trip to the Cotswolds was their longest of the season but injuries and suspensions meant they travelled with just 14 fit players.
They made a decent enough start but once they fell behind on 15 minutes to a fine goal, they were always up against it.
Cirencester's player-coach Nick Peare fired in a powerful, dropping cross to the far post, which the on-loan Felix Miles met with a tremendous volley that left WGC keeper Donnabhan Green with no chance.
Hopes of getting to the break with just the one-goal deficit were blown away by a second, Peare getting in between two defenders following corner to score.
WGC made a spirited start to the second-half with teenager Henry Jones always looking their liveliest performer on the day.
He got on the end of a short cross from Dernell Wynter two minutes after the restart but saw his effort deflected behind for a corner
Then he switched passes with Lynton Goss to fire in WGC’s best effort of the game, but Cirencester veteran keeper Stuart Nelson pulled off an excellent save, tipping it around the post.
But Cirencester wrapped things up on 90 minutes, Miles getting away down the left before finding substitute Luca Robinson at full stretch with his cross.
WGC then had salt rubbed into the wounds when Harvey Steel was sent off 30 seconds from the end of stoppage time, meaning the full-back will start the 2024-25 campaign with a three match ban.
WGC: Green, Steel, Boodhoo, Harris, Bryant (Kirwan 78), Vasey, Wadkins, Wynter (Stevenson 63), Jones, Goss, Babaie (Jordan 69).
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