NEWCASTLE boss Becky Langley says her side need to use their cup final disappointment as fuel to finish the job in the league and secure promotion to the Championship.

Langley also revealed her own personal heartbreak, with Newcastle's boss losing her nana just two days before Saturday's National League Cup final loss to Hashtag United at Luton's Kenilworth Road.

Langley thanked her players and staff for their support and told of her immense pride, despite the disappointment of going down 2-1 in Saturday's final.

The Magpies led thanks to an own goal but a Hashtag double either side of half-time from Macey Nicholls and Phoebe Williams was enough to secure victory for the Essex-based outfit.

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Langley admitted her side were below-par but says the experience will benefit her players in the long run.

"There's a huge amount of disappointment, we wanted to send those fans home with silverware," said Langley, whose side were backed by more than 3,000 fans.

"It wasn't our day. Credit to Hashtag, they performed excellently. When we went 1-0 up we thought we'd kick on but it wasn't our best performance. But we have to use this as fuel now and make sure we put that into the last four league games.

"We gave everything for the fans as we always do. Their support has been phenomenal. It's just a huge shame we couldn't send those home with a win. We're incredibly proud of the fans and the friends and family who came.

"We've said we have to feel the pain of watching them lift the trophy and be respectful. I said to the players winning is not always the only measure of success. We've had a lot of success over the course of the season. I'm so proud of the staff and the players. I can't thank them enough.

"I lost my nana two days ago, which was heartbreaking for me and my family. To have my mum and family watching was just incredible.

"The way the players and staff have supported me, I'm more proud of that than anything else. It's been lovely to have their support."

Newcastle will look to put their disappointment behind them by securing a second successive promotion. The Magpies are top of the National League Northern Premier Division and are bound for the Championship.

Langley said: "We just have to ensure there's no hangover and use that disappointment as fuel.

"I think we will, we won't feel sorry for ourselves. As staff and players we'll work hard to reflect on what didn't go right and use it to push on.

"We'll reflect on the goals we conceded. It's been a fantastic weekend, the players have been phenomenal and the excitement has been incredible. We tried to focus on the process rather than the outcome but it just wasn't enough.

"They punished us for our mistakes. Credit to their keeper, she pulled off some brilliant saves in the last half an hour. We had our chances but it just didn't land for us and we didn't quite do enough."