Boro boss Graham Westley admitted his side s play-off exit at the hands of Cambridge United yesterday was a bitter pill to swallow . Scott Rendell s winner two minutes from the end of extra time broke Boro hearts leaving the travelling fans to contempla

Boro boss Graham Westley admitted his side's play-off exit at the hands of Cambridge United yesterday was "a bitter pill to swallow".

Scott Rendell's winner two minutes from the end of extra time broke Boro hearts leaving the travelling fans to contemplate another season in the Blue Square Premier.

But Westley insists his side will come back strong from the experience and used the example set by Burton Albion, who responded to their play-off semi-final defeat in 2008 by winning the league the following the season, to inspire his troops to emerge from the sense of disappointment his squad will be feeling this morning.

"It's a very bitter pill to swallow. Things like this happen in football, they happen in life. When they do, there's no point in feeling sorry for yourself," Westley told The Comet. "You just have to pick yourselves up and get on with what's in front of you.

"You can't change the past, you can change the future. From our point of view, it's about learning the lessons that we can over the two games. We have to make sure that they are stronger from the experience.

"Today has been difficult for all of us to accept but we've got to learn our lessons. Cambridge were better than us over the 46 games as they came second.

"They have earned the right to a place in the play-off final and probably over the 46 games.

"We can't have too many grumbles. This time last year Burton Albion were sat in that dressing room and they obviously learned a lot of lessons and they kicked on the following year."

Boro can point to several injustices over the two legs as Scott Laird became the latest man to be shown a harsh red card to go along with Darren Murphy's dismissal on Thursday.

Westley is worried his side are gaining a reputation amongst the refereeing fraternity with Boro on the end of several baffling decisions in recent weeks.

"It's unbelievable. I don't know what we've done. We've taken something like five or six red cards in recent weeks.

"We had a fantastic disciplinary record all season. When I look at the decisions that are being made then I'm walking away bewildered - I can't see what people are seeing and I can't see why the decisions are going that way.

"We were talking earlier on in the season about referees talking to each other and spreading a word about a team.

"We've worked really hard at our discipline this season - we've tried to keep ourselves in order.

"These cards that we've taken in recent weeks have been absolutely staggering. I don't know where they are coming from.

"I don't know what's behind them and they are very difficult decisions to accept.