Lowestoft Town striker Chris Henderson admits that Tuesday's Suffolk Premier Cup final feels 'pointless' following their Ryman League play-off heartbreak.

The Trawlerboys fell at the final hurdle to book Conference football for the third year running, missing out to Concord Rangers in Monday's final. But before the Blues can contemplate a long summer of introspection, they have a trip to Portman Road to take on Bury Town for some end of season silverware – something unlikely to act as a consolation any time soon.

'I can't bring myself to think about the summer really – Monday has ruined it for me,' said Henderson, pictured. 'I don't really want to think about next season either, if I'm honest. We've had a brief chat about what we're going to do and how we are going to try to get our heads up and regroup – even for a final at Portman Road, which feels a bit pointless now to be honest with you.

'It's going to be hard but we need to – the ones that will be here next season – need to use this to go out and win the league, which I think if we get the right luck we will win it comfortably.'

Former Bury man Henderson, like Lowestoft, has suffered three Ryman League play-off disappointments in as many years and finds himself hoping his and the Trawlerboys' luck will change.

'It's sickening. I've lost in the play-offs three years in a row now – once in the semi-finals and twice in the final, and this is the worst of all of them, for the fact that we deserved to go up.

'I know you've got no right to go up – you've got to go out and win the final – but I thought we were the best team in the league overall.

'I don't like to make excuses but the winter, the amount of games we've had called off and what we've had to make up, and to finish second after a schedule like that. We've played five away games in 10 days, a quarter of our season in a month, and I think to finish second was a huge achievement.

'But if that doesn't happen, if we have the same fixture schedule as the ones that got lucky or whatever, then I think we win it. But it's not to be unfortunately. It seems like there is a bit of a curse on us.'