Manager Tommy Warrilow hopes Faversham will be “a different kettle of fish” next season as they target promotion and a return to Isthmian League football - again.

Town’s 2023/24 campaign ended on Tuesday when they lost their Southern Counties East Premier Division Play-off Semi-Final 4-1 on penalties to Corinthian after a 2-2 draw.

While the Lilywhites were top when they sacked Sammy Moore in January, that was always a false position due to rivals having games in hand. But an 11-match unbeaten run secured the runners-up place and home advantage in the play-offs.

Warrilow is still reeling from the disappointment of more personal play-off heartache - twice losing the Isthmian South East Play-off Final while at Ashford - but knows he quickly needs to recover from it.

He said: “There’s no positive to say when you go out of a Play-off Semi-Final.

“It doesn’t matter if you finish second or wherever because we’ve now finished the season.

“The aim was to get out of this league and we haven’t done that. Now, it’s just about regrouping.

Report: Faversham 2-2 Corinthian (Corinthian win 4-1 on penalties)

Boss Warrilow: Lilywhites were below-par

“Like I said to the boys, we’ll be in touch and we will have to meet up again and have a discussion about next season.

“I’m, obviously, not a happy bunny. It’s a whole season’s worth of work - even though I’ve only been here since January - and it’s a horrible feeling when you go to the latter stages and come unstuck.

“But that’s football. I’ve been in it a long time.

“Pre-season will come around quickly. We will get them in for next season and the most important thing for next year is to get out of this league.

“Hopefully, if we get a full season, and a run-up at it with a pre-season under our belts, it’ll be a different kettle of fish.

“I did remind the boys that they have been unbelievable for the last 11 games to do the run we have done. It’s a bit harsh.

“But you’re going to have games where you drop your standards a little bit, you’ll have that over the course of the season, and I think that was what we did on Tuesday.”

Such is the impact Warrilow has made on Faversham’s board in the last four months, they had already asked him to remain in charge for the 2024/25 season even before their play-off match.

But Warrilow added: “The most important thing isn’t about me - it’s about the football club.

“We’ve tried to change the whole ethos so everyone is enjoying themselves, on and off the pitch. Obviously, it has got to be right on the pitch - and it has been.

“But, on Tuesday, it wasn’t. It’s a massive game to just drop those standards a little bit.

“That’s it. The season is done now. I’ll go home, assess everything and I just need to sit down with all the lads again, and build for next year.

“We know what league we’re in now. There’s things like pre-season friendlies. We have a few lined-up and a few other bits going on.

“We’ve just got to try and stay positive because it hasn’t been an awful time. I think it’s only the third game (plus a Challenge Cup Quarter-Final at Corinthian) we have lost since we’ve been here. But I demand a lot from everyone.

"If it drops a little bit, I’m not going to say ‘I thought we were unlucky’ because I don’t think we were unlucky on Tuesday.

“I just thought we dropped our standards a little bit and came unstuck.”

First-half goals from midfielder Billy Bingham and captain Connor Essam put the Lilywhites in control against Corinthian, who had ex-Town winger Michael Hagan on target.

The visitors twice hit back in front of a huge crowd of 803 at Salters Lane, however, and won the shoot-out as top scorer Stefan Payne and defender Ben Gorham missed spot-kicks.

On his players, Warrilow noted: “They all hurt. It’s horrible because it’s a whole season on that game.

“I’m not one of those to just say ‘Let’s just move onto next season’ - because that’s hurt. It’s going to hurt for a few days. It should hurt.

“But then you have got to put your big-boy pants on and go ‘Right, let’s go again next year and really have a go at it’.

“If we can carry on with the statistics that we have got, we will be fine.

“But, at the moment, it’s just a bit rubbish.”

Many had tipped Faversham as pre-season title favourites - and will do so again next season - but Warrilow has never underestimated the size of the task of getting out of Step 5.

“The one thing I have always said is the lower you go, the harder it gets because of peoples’ work-rate and runs,” he said. “You saw on Tuesday that’s what Corinthian are about - chasing, chasing and chasing.

“You can have all the flair and all the ability but, sometimes, you have got to dig in.”

The Lilywhites’ play-off heartache came after they had ended their regular season with a 2-0 victory at Punjab United through goals from Payne and substitute Warren Mfula last weekend.