Holcombe missed out on the Conference East title by the narrowest of margins on Sunday.

A 3-1 win over Old Loughtonians wasn’t enough on the day as Wimbledon hit five at home to relegation threatened Cambridge City, without reply, to win the league on goal difference.

Just three goals separated the teams at the end of the 18-game season, having started Sunday afternoon with near-identical records.

It was a bitter blow for Holcombe, as a three-goal swing saw them drop from top to second but team manager Keith Martin pointed to a 3-1 defeat at bottom placed City of Peterborough, earlier in the season, that proved crucial in the end.

Martin said: "We didn’t score enough on the day and although we did have chances, we didn’t miss out on promotion because of that one game.

"What cost us dear was when we went to bottom placed Peterborough and lost up there on a cold and wet day. We played badly and conceded some sloppy goals.

"If we had of won that game, we would have won the league by three points and the goals wouldn’t have mattered. We were close and it was a brave effort."

Both teams finished the season scoring 66 with 13 wins, two draws and three defeats but Wimbledon conceded three goals less, which was enough to take them into the play-offs and a chance to win promotion to the Premier Division.

Wimbledon, with Olympians Ben Hawes and Richard Alexander in the side, are a side Martin expected to be promoted but was also left to the rue the match they lost to the divisional winners.

Hawes scored two goals on the day, in a 4-2 win but also cleared two Holcombe efforts off the line.

"We deserved the draw there and you can look at other games and what ifs," said Martin.

"Our aim this season was to challenge for promotion and we’ve done that."