The Mariners went down 4-1 to Sunderland RCA in the Ernest Armstrong Memorial Trophy to finish an otherwise successful season on a negative note.

But boss Steadman admitted when he sits down and analyses the whole campaign next week, he will be happy with how it has gone.

Shields gained promotion to Division One of the Northern League after eight years of trying, and while they wanted to reach a cup final to top their season off, it wasn't to be.

Three goals in 12 minutes from RCA left Shields with a mountain to climb at half-time, and it proved too much after the interval.

Dean Patton's 90th-minute header from Jonny Wightman's cross was nothing more than a consolation, with John Newton RCA's hat-trick hero, and Andy Jennings bagging their other goal.

Steadman said: "It was just a nightmare 15 minutes we had, and at 3-0 it was game over.

"Second half it was all us as we pushed on and went three then four up front.

"They rode their luck a bit, but we were never really going to get back into it.

"We didn't play badly, it was just that 15-minute spell. The players didn't let themselves down.

"I said to (assistant manager) Justin (Perry) last night that we'll look back next week and realise what a great season we had, but we're just hurting at the minute.

"Cup finals are for players, and it would have been the icing on the cake to get there, so I'm just a bit gutted for them."

It was a degree of revenge for former Shields boss Neil Hixon – now manager of RCA – after the Mariners defeated his side last week in a promotion decider.

And while reaching a cup final will be some consolation to him and his players, they would much rather be in Shields's position right now.