Sittingbourne manager Ryan Maxwell has vowed to get back to work after their Isthmian South East play-off final disappointment.

Bourne missed out on a first promotion since 1996 after losing 3-2 on penalties to Burgess Hill on Friday night.

The match went the distance following a 1-1 draw, with Mitchell May’s first-half opener for the hosts cancelled out by substitute Stefan Vukoje.

Ade Azeez’s penalty was saved, while Troy Howard and Donvieve Jones both hit the bar.

It was a cruel way to lose for Maxwell’s side after a magnificent campaign which saw them finish runners-up with 101 points and reach the FA Trophy quarter-finals.

He was “devastated” in the immediate aftermath but has a job to get on with as Sittingbourne look to go one better and win the title next season.

“One thing that most people know about me is I’m a strong character and it takes a lot to derail me,” said Maxwell, who has two years remaining on his Brickies contract.

“This certainly won’t.

“I’m absolutely gutted for people around me, I’m not gutted for me, I can take that right on the chin and learn from it and get better from it, but I’m just gutted for the people that have been so good to me.

“The people at this club, I love them to bits, they’re great people, I wanted it so much for them, and my players are phenomenal and I wanted it for them.

“It is a case of getting back to the drawing board very quickly.

“I will move on very quickly, not to sound cold, but probably the next couple of days and get to work.”

The squad will need little work to mount another promotion challenge, provided they stay together.

There may well be interest in Sittingbourne players from clubs at higher levels but that’s all part of football.

“I have a great squad and I’ve thanked them for everything they’ve done for me and given me this year,” said Maxwell.

“I couldn’t have asked for any more.

“Lady Luck didn’t shine upon us but I’m certainly not going to point fingers at my players.

“They’ve been unbelievable and they’re a special bunch.”

The play-off final attracted a record Woodstock crowd of 1,583.

Increased gates have been a feature of Maxwell’s two-and-a-half-year reign, with the club going from a relegation battle to successive play-off campaigns, alongside their history-making Trophy exploits.

Speaking of the attendance at the final, Maxwell said: “I’m so proud of that.

“When I first came here, there were 125 people versus Whitehawk, and I remember it well.

“To have a sell-out here, we’ve come a long way.

“We were third-bottom when I came in here, we finished second this season and reached the quarter-finals of the FA Trophy.

“That’s the reality of a two-and-a-bit-year turnaround and to pack this place out, I’m unbelievably proud because it shows the growth and it shows the potential here as well.”