Gillingham manager Mark Stimson hailed match-winner Simeon Jackson and captain Barry Fuller after a Wembley Play-Off Final win against Shrewsbury Town had taken the Gills back to Coca-Cola League 1 just 12 months after they had been relegated.

Jackson, a £150,000 signing from non-League Rushden & Diamonds in January 2008, was anonymous for much of the game but popped up to head his 21st goal of the season in the last minute to seal a dramatic 1-0 victory.

"Simeon didn't have his best of games," said Stimson, "but when the opportunity came up he was in the right place at the right time. The kid's a natural goalscorer, a big game player, and he certainly knows where the goal is."

Stimson gave his ultimate praise to Fuller, who like Jackson was signed in January last year and also from a non-League club, the right back arriving on a free transfer from Stevenage and eventually being made captain in October.

"I made a massive decision," said Stimson, "to put a new captain in. Now we've got a captain who genuinely wants to win football matches. He gives absolutely everything - he's taken the boys forward and played a massive part in us getting promoted."

Promotion will take Gillingham into a division which next season will boast big clubs such as Charlton Athletic, Norwich City and Southampton, all of them relegated from the Championship, and Leeds United who missed out in the League 1 Play-Offs.

Stimson said: "It's massive for us financially. There are several local teams we'll be playing against and with the likes of Leeds, Norwich and Southampton involved we will have some big gates depending on how we do.

"We brought over 30,000 fans to Wembley and we need to attract as many of them as we can every week and for them to be proud to support us. We will need to improve the squad, but we'll do that and try and become a good League 1 side."

While Stimson and his team begin preparing for life in League 1 it's back to the drawing board for Shrewsbury manager Paul Simpson and his players, the Shrews having now lost two League 2 Play-Off Finals in three seasons.

While Stimson was able to pronounce himself "proud of our performance," a bitterly disappointed Simpson admitted: "We didn't play to the levels we are capable of and we have to take our hats off to Gillingham for what they've achieved.

"Losing a game like this at Wembley is a horrible feeling, not the worst the players will have in their lives but right now it fees that way. What we have to do is use the experience to make us better and stronger for next season."

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