BEN Dudzinski hopes Oxford City's close-knit squad can stay together for another promotion push next season.

The goalkeeper was unable to stop his side losing their Vanarama National League South play-off semi-final 3-0 to Dorking Wanderers.

It was a disappointing end to a successful season where City were among the front-runners throughout and briefly topped the table in December.

READ MORE: Oxford City boss feels fatigue contributed to play-off defeat

Their play-off challenge was built on a core of players who took the club to fourth in the table halfway through last term, before the campaign was cancelled.

Dudzinski is one of the key members of that group and hopes City can retain as much of the squad as possible.

He said: “We might have some people leaving and some newcomers, but the club’s moving in a great direction.

“The more of the boys that are here next season the better, because it’s one of the best dressing rooms I’ve ever been in.

“We play football because we enjoy it, but to say every time you go into training that you enjoy the people you’re with is a massive thing.”

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Dorking were deserved winners after finishing the regular season second, but Dudzinski insisted City believed they could progress and set up a final against Ebbsfleet United this Saturday.

He said: "The whole season we’ve had quite high expectations of ourselves after building a really good foundation last year.

"The whole time we’ve been striving to at least be in the play-offs, so it is an achievement to get there.

"We’re obviously very proud to do it for the club.

"We 100 per cent believed we could go all the way, so to not do it is gutting.”