Chippenham missed out on winning promotion to Blue Square South as they lost their Southern Premier play-off final to Nuneaton 2-1 after extra-time.
The Bluebirds suffered their fourth play-off loss in six seasons despite Lewis Powell putting them in front on 71 minutes.
Nuneaton equalised three minutes later through Chris Dillon.
And they secured a place in either the Blue Square North or South thanks to Eddie Nisevic's 105th-minute winner.
Manager Adie Mings said his players did him proud despite the defeat.
"I've got lads out on their feet with the effort they've put in. To get to where they have got to is different class," he told BBC Wiltshire.
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"We scored at the right time and it was a case of trying to see out the next 10 minutes but we've switched off, given away a poor goal.
"The second goal has come from people not tracking their runners, just basic defending."
Chippenham have now lost three finals having also been beaten in 2005 and 2006 whilst they went out at the semi-final stage in 2008.
And Mings added: "There's some really distraught characters because they've worked their socks off to get this far.
"It will hurt but if we can stay together we'll be a year stronger and a year wiser next year then we can go again."
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