Lowestoft Town are hoping for fourth time lucky as they face AFC Hornchurch in this season’s Ryman Premier League play-off final on Bank Holiday Monday for a place in the Conference South.

For both sides it is an important match in their own quest for promotion but for Lowestoft their quest has always ended in heartache.

In the past three seasons Lowestoft have reached the play-off final only to lose on all three occasions. 

In 2011 they lost out in a seven-goal thriller to Tonbridge Angels, a year later it was Monday’s opponents Hornchurch who beat them and last season Concord Rangers won 2-1.

The Trawler Boys finished fourth this campaign, one point ahead of Hornchurch and had to come from a goal down at Bognor Regis Town to reach the final.

The home side took the lead on Wednesday night in the 11th minute through Terry Todd but Curtis Haynes-Brown responded on 28 minutes. 

Over 1,000 fans were at Nyewood Lane, with the majority hoping for a Bognor win but Jake Reed scored 12 minutes from time to book Lowestoft’s place in the final.

Joint managers Mick Chapman and Ady Gallagher will not need reminding of Lowestoft’s record but it could be a pivotal factor in both side’s mindsets going into the game. 

Meanwhile in Surrey at Kingsmeadow, AFC Hornchurch battled hard to overcome Kingstonian 1-0. 

Despite being dominated in the first-half, Hornchurch came out rejuvenated after the interval and defender Rickie Hayles’ bullet header from a corner proved enough to send the Essex outfit through.

Hornchurch boss Jim McFarlane said after the game that the pressure will be on Lowestoft rather than his side given their record and he’s hoping to prolong their play-off misery. 

“This will be their fourth year and I’m hoping that next year people will be saying ‘this is their fifth year in the play-offs’ because that’ll mean we’ve been successful,” said McFarlane.

“However mentally tough a character you are if we could get a goal in front it would make everyone at Lowestoft think ‘is this going to happen again’.”

The final will represent similar importance to McFarlane’s side too as they aim to return to the Conference South at the first attempt. 

The Urchins were relegated last season after just one campaign by one point, finishing 20th.

The play-off final will be played at Crown Meadow, giving Lowestoft home advantage against the side they lost out to two years ago.