Kingstonian skipper Matt Somner admitted this season has not worked out how he had hoped.

The 30-year-old former Brentford midfielder joined the Ks in the summer from Lewes looking for promotion via at the play-offs at the very least.

However, Monday night’s 1-0 Ryman Premier Division defeat to Hastings United has all but ended Ks hopes of making the play-offs this time round.

Somner said: “The lads in the dressing room are hurting after that defeat [to Hastings] but we will kick on for the rest of the season.

“We have to put it behind us and move on to the Wingate game this weekend and put things right.

“I’ve really enjoyed my this season, but I was expecting to get promotion and it has not worked out that way which is very disappointing.”

He added: “But hopefully we will all learn from this and be stronger for next season.”

Monday night's defeat to Hastings leave Ks seven points off the play-offs with six games to go, and Somner said it was losing these kind of games that have cost them dear.

"We should be winning these games against teams struggling at the bottom of the table," he said.

"They are fighting for survival but we're going out there to win every game and on paper we are better than them.

"I know some fans think we're not bothering anymore because we're unlikely to get into the play-offs, but that is not the case.

"As skipper I know I am still trying my hardest out there and I know the other lads are too.

"The gaffer [Alan Dowson] certainly won't let us take our foot off the pedal."

Somner added: "I have been at a few clubs in my time and the fans are the same wherever you go - they like it if you're winning, but they don't like it if you're losing, and to be fair who does?"

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Ks travel to Wingate & Finchley this weekend, before another journey, this time to Kent, to face Margate.

Mathematically Somner's charges can still make the play-offs, however, it is only a cruelly slim chance.

Somner said: "We won't give up, but clearly losing games is not going to help.

"When we go on a little run, people start talking up the play-offs, and then changes after a couple of defeats.

"We will give our best for every game between now and the end of the season and see what happens, it is all we can do."