HEYBRIDGE Swifts manager Jody Brown found the manner of their play-off semi-final defeat hard to take.

Swifts’ Ryman League division one north promotion dream came to an end at Scraley Road on Tuesday night when they were beaten 3-0 by Harlow Town.

The play-off final will now be between Witham Town, who beat Needham Market 1-0 with a late Kris Newby goal in the other semi-final, and Harlow on Sunday.

Brown said: “We underperformed and were beaten by the better team.

“It was very disappointing and we didn’t perform as well as we know we can.

“Finishing in third place isn’t a comfort at the moment.

“The upheavals and changes at the club have been well documented.

“But we got through that and pulled together as a team and got to where we were.

“I’ve tried to lift the lads.

“A 93 points total was good, no other team at the top has had a change of manager and the other changes we had.

“They say the league table doesn’t lie and we are the third best team in the league.

“I told the players if we hadn’t have had the changes then they may have won it.

“We probably are in the bottom six for resources in the division.

“But the boys produced a great run of results at the end of the season to get us into a great position.

“It is still very disappointing.

“I think in a week we will be able to look back on the season and see what good achievements we have made.

“But at the moment we are all very disappointed.”