Heartbroken Mick Sullivan vows his Leatherhead side will return even stronger next season after their promotion dreams ended in a penalty shootout defeat at Folkestone Invicta on Tuesday night.

The 5-3 spot-kick slump, after a 2-2 draw following extra time, crushed the Tanners’ Ryman Division One South glory hopes after a stunning end to the campaign.

But Sullivan reckons his squad are just getting started.

He said: “Of course it is a huge disappointment and at the moment it is pretty hard to take.

“But I really hope that this disappointment will be the spur we need to kick on next year.

“We have played some fantastic football and we have given the fans something to shout about.

“I am proud of each and every one of them and I am sure the fans feel the same.

“The key now will be to keep this core of players together and build for the future.”

Two Chris Boulter headers saw the Tanners take a 2-0 interval lead in Kent, only for a Folkestone aerial bombardment to produce two goals after the break.

Both sides then had chances to win it, but in the shootout Jon Coke’s solitary miss proved decisive.

Sullivan added: “If we had got the third goal in the first half that would have done it.

“On chances we deserved to win but that counts for nothing now.

“If we had had that little bit of experience we might have been able to close the game out, but it was still a great achievement to push Folkestone that far.”

Sullivan will now set about moulding his squad for next season, and the veteran boss has definite aims in mind.

He added: “We are not a big, strong side by any stretch of the imagination.

“We are a small, skilful side and those sides do not normally do well in the Ryman leagues so we have bucked the trend there.

“I do not want to lose that edge but we do need to strengthen.

“If I can keep this nucleus of players together and add two to four new players I reckon we will be fired up and ready to go.”