Striker Jamie Cureton is facing Wembley heartbreak with Shrewsbury Town – if their campaign ends in a third play-off final in four seasons.

Cureton has joined Town on an emergency loan from Norwich until the end of the season, but Football League rules dictate that can only run for 93 days.

That means the deal for the 34-year-old expires on May 20, 10 days before the League Two play-off final.

Town’s only hope would be to make a special request for dispensation to the League management committee.

Cureton would be available for both legs of any play-off semi-final – which will be held between May 13 and 18.

Town are currently sixth and remain six points outside of the automatic promotion places after last night’s latest round of matches.

“Jamie wouldn’t be available as it stands,” said manager Paul Simpson.

“The emergency loan takes it to May 20 so the challenge is to get automatic promotion and that is what we are still aiming for.

“People might think we haven’t got a chance but as long as we have got a chance, we will keep plugging away.”

Cureton has arrived at Town with a record verging on a goal every two games.

He made an immediate impact by scoring for the reserves at Burton on the day he arrived from Carrow Road before making his Town debut with a 25-minute substitute outing in last Friday’s defeat at Bury.

He was then handed his first start in Monday’s 1-1 draw at Rotherham

“To be honest, I didn’t really want to throw Jamie in on Monday,” added Simpson.

“It was a really difficult surface to play on, especially for someone like Jamie who hasn’t got his match fitness.

“But I decided we had to be a bit more positive – which is way Jamie and Jake Robinson played – and it was one of those games he might just have got a goal for us.”

As revealed in later editions of yesterday’s Star, midfielder Craig Disley will be out for eight weeks with a broken ankle.

Defender Shane Cansdell-Sherriff faces a two game ban after picking up his 10th booking of the season.