Experienced midfielder Paul Murray was quick to shrug off the pain of Wembley defeat, insisting: “We’ll be coming back to win the league next season.”

The 32-year-old played 74 minutes of the League Two play-off final before being substituted, and was in the dug-out when Simeon Jackson headed home Gillingham’s last minute winner.

But he believes Shrewsbury can recover, backing his team-mates to challenge for the title next time around.

“It’s hard to swallow for everyone,” he said. “We sat there (in the changing room) listening to Gillingham celebrating, but it will make us stronger.

“We want that next season – we want promotion and we want to be champions.

“For me, that has to be the aim next time. This is hard to swallow right now, but it makes you stronger as a character.

“The first half didn’t go to plan but we were still in the game and we created enough chances to go 1-0 up. But it wasn’t to be and my focus is on next season.”

For Murray, it was a first taste of Wembley, despite a distinguished career that has taken in the likes of Southampton, Queen’s Park Rangers and Beira Mar in Portugal.

And he relished the experience, even if the outcome will live long in the memory for all the wrong reasons.

“It was a great occasion with the wrong result,” he said.

“The gaffer’s done brilliantly – there were days when we thought we were never going to get there, but we ground it out and that shows character in itself.

“It’s a shame we couldn’t top it off, but that’s life. There’s a fine line between success and failure.”