BASILDON United manager Aaron Bloxham says he will assess his future in the coming weeks after the Bees’ season ended with defeat in the League Challenge Cup semi-final.

Bloxham’s men were beaten 4-3 on penalties by Takeley on Tuesday night, following a goalless 90 minutes.

Straight to penalties, it was Takeley goalkeeper Ronnie Yates that proved to be the hero as he made two saves to knock out the defending champions.

Basildon end the season having also reached the third round of the FA Vase, the quarter-finals of the Essex Senior Cup and secured a top 10 finish in the Essex Senior League.

And Bloxham said he was really pleased with the Bees’ performances this season.

“The boys have been a credit to the club,” he said. “They have had a lot of knockdowns and people were on their case from the start after the success the team had last year.

“But they can hold their heads up high after a good league finish and impressive cup runs.

“The Takeley game was tight, as we knew it would be. I wanted the players to treat it as a cup final.

“There were not many chances and it went straight to penalties, which I thought was a bit of a joke for a semi-final.

“It is the first shoot-out we have lost this year and it is just one of those things.

“The boys came through the last four or five games unbeaten (including cup defeat which ended 0-0 after 90 minutes) and there are positives to take from that.

“Now I will sit down with the chairman (Lee Connor) to discuss my future and we will push on from there. He has his own ideas and I have mine. I hope we can agree on what we want.”

Bloxham joined the club from Olympian League outfit White Ensign last May, following the departure of Craig Gillam.

Gillam had led Basildon to second in the league last term, and Bloxham said it was a hard act to follow.

But he says he is satisfied with his work, while admitting next season will be tough, and revealing Great Wakering Rovers are already looking at some of his players.

“The division will be stronger,” he said. “Wakering will be a big hitter and they are looking at the likes of Nathan Dewberry and John-Jo Slater.

“But, for myself, it has been an experience and I have learned a lot having stepped up from Olympian football.

“We have all made mistakes but we have pulled through together and we will all keep moving forward, I am sure about that.”