HOW cruel this often glorious game can be. From the moment both teams engaged in a pre-match huddle, Gillingham and Shrewsbury Town tussled manfully and matched each other stride for stride, tackle for tackle, and almost chance for chance until the clock ticked into its 90th minute.

Then, Shrewsbury’s hitherto impeccable defence switched off at a corner and watched the ball rather than Simeon Jackson, who headed his team into League One after a solitary season in the basement. For the otherwise invisible Jackson, his 21st goal of the season; for Gillingham joy unbounded; for Shrewsbury a second Wembley playoff defeat in three years. “Right now it feels like the worst feeling in my life,” said Shrewsbury’s manager, Paul Simpson. “We had chances, we should have defended the corner better, but you have to congratulate Gillingham. They were the better team.”

If Shrewsbury had a psychological advantage after hammering Gillingham 7-0 in Shropshire in September and then retrieving a two-goal deficit in Kent in March, they kept it to themselves. Instead, from the very first minute, when Grant Holt almost felled teammate Kevin McIntyre with a wildly overhit backpass, until their brief period of second-half hegemony, they exhibited only another of Wembley’s great traditions: nerves.

As Shrewsbury froze and struggled to deploy their passing game, Gillingham brimmed with purpose and confidence. Dennis Oli made a nuisance of himself on the right, Josh Wright was their ever-ready, always-available fulcrum, but for all their huffing and all their puffing, Gillingham’s final ball lacked penetration and after an opening 30 minutes where both goalkeepers might as well have brought a book with them, only Graham Coughlan’s header past his own upright from John Nutter’s free kick and Shrewsbury’s Darren Moss expertly chesting Barry Fuller’s crafty cross to safety had rattled anyone’s cage.

Buoyed by their sorties, Gillingham seized the moment and only Paul Murray’s athleticism foiled Nutter after another troublesome corner. However, once Ben Davies’ free kick beat Simon Royce’s post by a crosshair, Shrewsbury’s collective freeze began to thaw.

Then, on the cusp of half- time, Gillingham came closer still. Moss had to kick for touch after Wright’s canny low shot threaded its way through a clutch of players and Luke Daniels somehow pawed it aside.

After the break, in his final match before returning to parent club West Bromwich Albion, Daniels further distinguished himself after Andy Barcham waltzed through a bamboozled Town defence.

Holt lobbed a 53rd-minute free kick into the cauldron of potential hope and Davies’ snapshot brought out the best in Simon Royce, making his Wembley bow 17 seasons and seven clubs after his debut.

Again, Davies’ misfortune prompted Shrewsbury into meaningful action as they finally forgot where they were and the height of the stakes. They began to threaten and in the 65th minute Kelvin Langmead’s header reached McIntyre unmarked seven yards out, but he nodded wide.

Shrewsbury seemed to sense they would not come closer and as quickly as they had gained the initiative, they lost it.

Extra time appeared inevitable before Jackson struck, with Shrewsbury waning and Gillingham waxing once more on the new Wembley pitch.

“The pitch was fantastic,” said winning manager Mark Stimson, “and that suited our passing game. I’m so proud.”

To rub salt into wounds, there was one last tilt at redemption when Coughlan beat Royce to Davies’ cross. The header flew wide and you could almost hear the sound of Salopian hearts breaking again.

Ref and son make it a Wembley double

History will be made today when Michael Oliver referees the League One playoff final between Millwall and Scunthorpe, less than 24 hours after his father, Clive, officiated in yesterday’s League Two decider. Michael, inset, became the Football League’s youngest-ever official when, at 21, he took charge of Grimsby’s League Two match at Hereford in March 2007. Clive was in charge of his first Wembley match yesterday, but Michael, who still lives with his parents in Ashington, beat him to it. He officiated at the stadium in the 2007 Conference playoff final between Exeter and Morecambe.

GILLINGHAM: Royce 7, Fuller 8, Richards 6, King 7, Nutter 7, Lewis 7, Weston 6, Wright 8, Oli 7, Jackson 6, Barcham 6

SHREWSBURY: Daniels 8, D Moss 7, Langmead 6, Coughlan 6, Ashton 7, Humphrey 6 (Ashikodi 90min), Davies 7, Murray 7 (Worrall 74min), McIntyre 6, Holt 6, Chadwick 6 (Riza 79min)