The Rebels were on course for a place in the top five until a heart-stopping final five minutes at Gigg Lane - when opponents Bradford scored an equaliser and promotion rivals Kendal netted a late winner to leapfrog them in the table.
That put paid to hopes of FC equalling Truro City's British record of earning four successive promotions.
But, with many of his players still horizontal on the pitch having given their all in a tense match, Marginson issued a rallying call.
FC, who were languishing in mid-table at Christmas, finished the season with seven wins and two draws, despite losing top scorer Kyle Wilson for the final three months.
"If we can keep these players together for next season, with maybe a couple of additions, I can see us winning the league," he said.
"Since we've had this group of players since before Christmas our form has been magnificent.
"I have already started speaking to the lads about staying for next season and so far their responses have all been positive."
FC had been on course after defender Adam Tong prodded in a eighth minute opener, and goalkeeper Sam Ashton pulled off two saves which were, without exaggeration, world-class.
But the drama intensified as Mark Bett headed in for 1-1, and news filtered through that Kendal - who had thrown away a two-goal lead - had managed a third goal against Buxton.
"I was being updated and knew Buxton had got it back to 2-2, but it just wasn't to be," said Marginson, who next week takes his team to Sweden for a season-ending friendly against a team from Djurgardens IF.
"Little things didn't go our way, but the main thing now is to stick together and get stronger as a club."
A bumper crowd of 3,718, FC's biggest for over two years, gave further cause for optimism as it meant the season's average attendance rose for the first time after a steady decline from the 3,000-plus of the first season.
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Showing comments 1 to 20 and replies | View All
Dukinfield Blue, Manchester (26/04/2009 at 13:48)
Mark, South Manchester (26/04/2009 at 14:05)
Good night and good-bye FC United.
Dukinfield Blue, Manchester (26/04/2009 at 14:37)
Prestwich Red, Prestwich (26/04/2009 at 16:04)
What a crowd - 3718. Maybe a few of our secret city admirers came to see what the fuss is all about ;)
mufc @ belle vue aces forever, manchester (26/04/2009 at 19:06)
Si, East Manchester, Audenshaw (26/04/2009 at 19:23)
Free Red, Manchester (26/04/2009 at 22:35)
palomablanca, manchester (27/04/2009 at 08:58)
Frank Kelly, Didsbury (27/04/2009 at 16:04)
Stad, Manchester (27/04/2009 at 16:20)
We will not dissapear because we didn`t get promotion. Promotion and trophies are very nice and we`ve had a few of them in our short history but they are not the be all and end all of everything. As long as we ramian a sustainable football club run for the benefit of the fans and communities of Greater Manchester and can enjoy affordable yet highly competative games in a fantastic atmosphere then that is what matters most.
Expectations have changed over the last few weeks and although there was a bit of dissapointment not to go up this time, to be in a postion where we went into the last game of the season with a chance of making the play offs was a superb acheivement after the start we had to the season and most peole would have taken this then. The dissapointment of not going up is far outweighed by optimism for the future. From peole I have spoken to and the messages on the fans forum, everyone is really up for next season.
keithmat (27/04/2009 at 22:51)
Roger Turning the Holme Valley Blue (28/04/2009 at 12:19)
owlsi (28/04/2009 at 13:30)
phil m, cumbria (29/04/2009 at 16:34)
F C JOHN, LADYBARN (29/04/2009 at 17:09)
Dukinfield Blue, Manchester (30/04/2009 at 10:22)
F C JOHN, LADYBARN (06/05/2009 at 12:38)
Dukinfield Blue, Manchester (07/05/2009 at 20:25)
1)Dont watch pub football ( I was never keen on a hackney marshes type of game, its crude and not entertaining)
2)Dont claim to love more than one team - the problem with you lot is it suits you to set up and support FC in order to make a point about the glazers yet fantasise and have orgasms about the likes of Ronaldo, Giggs and Rooney at the same time while watching for free on match of the day or sky. Grow up and be a supporter of one or the other instead of constantly bed hopping from one team to another based on a daily/weekly/monthly whim.
3) Dont claim to have an alligence with "Manchester" which clearly doesent exist, you dont play in Manchester, I guess the small level of support you do have isnt in Manchester (Jonny John Tunbridge wells etc etc etc), you are just a sad, cheap, wannabe fantasy of a football team created to boost the ego's of a few people who clearly have no idea what their argument clearly is or who it is they really support. All this crap about "Love Utd, hate Glazer" is bull. Decide what you want and stick with it, then I might have some respect for you. (I exclude free red from this criticism, he is the only one who clearly loves FC and the rest of you muppets are part time hangers on)
Johnniejohn, Tunbridge Wells (08/05/2009 at 14:41)
Then he admits never having seen an FC Game but feels competent enough to adjudge the standard!
Claims not to love more than 1 team. Laudable prima facie, but really. Dont know if duckegg has kids but if he does and has more than one, which one does he choose? And does he bin his wife because he cannot love more than 1 thing? I in no particular order loved MU, love Salford RLFC, Lancs CCC and occasionally went to Belle Vue Aces. Is that bed hopping in duckegg's eyes?
I find duckegg's tenacity remarkable. He is a real obsessive. Why the vitriol? Because he is a bitter blue? If anything is in duckegg's words "sad, cheap, wannabe fantasists" it is what he sees in the mirror. A sad apology of a person.
Dukinfield Blue, Manchester (08/05/2009 at 16:57)
8/05/2009 at 14:41
Why are my comments in your eyes judged idiotic and ill informed?, it seems to me that you cant take the truth and consequence of your actions.
are you a true supporter of FC or not?, I merely pointed out that 99% of football fans have one love for a club -for life, no exceptions, no regrets, lots of loyalty, right through the bad years (and I acknowledge City have had plenty of them right through the years I have supported them) yet you lot are different and thats why you are Hypocritical.
Answer me a hypothetical question, if FC Utd draws Man U in the FA cup, who will you and all the other part timers going to support on the day?
I will tell you shall I?, you will all, like the rest of the sheep, go back to your love affair with the real Utd and drop the cheap, knockoff, counterfiet version you have created in your own fantasy world down the drain.
If thats supporting FC Utd, why bother having the club in the first place?, but I will tell you why you do, its to feed the ego's of clowns like you who want to make a stand over the Glazier situation without admitting that the real Man U is your only real love?
Am I getting close to the truth?, it hurts doesent it???.