Roddy Collins steered Carlisle United to safety at Gay Meadow last night and then told supporters that the Cumbrians will never again face a fight for their Football League lives.

Brian Wake's hat-trick ensured Brunton Park will host Third Division football next season and sent Shrewsbury tumbling out of the league on a tense evening in Shropshire.

Town boss Kevin Ratcliffe, who later faced calls for his head from furious supporters, has promised to announce a decision on his future in the near future.

And, although Collins was greatly relieved to have avoided a final day of drama against Bournemouth on Saturday, the Irishman was reluctant to celebrate with the ranks of the jubilant United supporters.

"It's a great relief but it's not a time for celebration," said the Carlisle boss, who insists his team can mount a genuine promotion challenge next season.

"You don't celebrate when you're third-bottom of the league and, if champagne is sent into the dressing room, we won't drink it because we don't deserve it yet.

"Of course I'm happy that we have done it. You never think that you're going to go down but when it gets to this stage, you start to get a bit worried.

"The players have done everything I have asked and I'm really pleased for the fans. They have been behind us all season and they deserve this for their loyalty.

"I have taken a massive gamble this season by relying on so many kids. I wanted to lay the foundations, put down the building blocks and that will pay dividends next season."

Although it was Wake, plucked from Northern League outfit Tow Law Town, who took the plaudits, Collins wouldn't single out any of his players on a night to remember. "I'm delighted for him, he is a good player," said the former Bohemians boss.

"But we have got a lot of good players and every one of them has played a part."

John Courtenay's complicated takeover from Michael Knighton was only completed days before the start of the campaign and having not had the benefit of a pre-season, the Cumbrians have struggled from the off.

Collins has revealed that he already has his eye on five new players. And, with a full summer to prepare, the United manager is relishing the chance to get cracking next term.

"I can't wait, I'm looking forward to it so much," he added.

"It was really difficult this year not having a pre-season. I bluffed it in the papers about the position we were in and said that we weren't in trouble. But the truth is that we have been fighting to beat relegation from day one.

"The mentality of the club is right, we have the right people here now and we will be successful. Next season will be a lot, lot better; we will be successful."

While Carlisle take on Bournemouth on Saturday, both Exeter and Swansea will be battling to try to avoid joining Shrewsbury in the Nationwide Conference.

The Gay Meadow board last night refused to discuss Ratcliffe's future at the club. But the former Everton defender has hinted that he will walk away.

"We will collect our thoughts and address it in the morning," he said. "The future can be sorted out then, there's always tomorrow. I have a wife and kids who deserve to know first."

As Shrewsbury supporters grieved at their Football League funeral, the Carlisle contingent were celebrating a Wake.

Brian Wake, to be precise.

The former Tow Law striker may not have quite the same penchant for drama as Jimmy Glass but, with the hat-trick which preserved United's place among the professional ranks for another 12 months, he is certain to have earned a prominent place in the club's colourful history.

Wake's goals in the 36th, 37th and 50th minutes spared the long-suffering Cumbrians supporters the agonies of another last-gasp survival mission and ended Shrewsbury's 53-year stretch as a League outfit.

Since their terrific triumph over Everton in the FA Cup on January 4, the Shrews have managed just two league wins.

But Carlisle, teetering on the edge for the majority of the season, live to fight another day.

Collins' side don't like to make things easy for themselves. After fighting back from Nigel Jemson's penalty to take a 3-1 lead, the Cumbrians had to hang on at the end after Luke Rodgers scored for a Shrewsbury team by then down to 10 men. Thankfully, they did it.

The home side made the kind of start which belied their lowly league position and, with six minutes gone, Ian Woan's smart free-kick was fired over the crossbar by the lurking Jemson.

It could easily have gone in. Collins, the tension telling on the touchline, briefly rallied his troops and Ryan Baldacchino forced a fine save from keeper Mark Cartwright.

But with the lively Rodgers clearly in no mood to give up without a fight, Shrewsbury continued to pile the pressure onto a United defence walking a disciplinary tightrope following the early bookings of Peter Murphy and Mark Birch.

Woan went close with a volley from Rodgers' corner in the 20th minute. And the goal which Town had threatened since the start of play was not far behind.

It came from a flowing breakaway move, with Woan sending Rodgers scampering away. Paul Raven felled the striker with a rash challenge and Jemson made no mistake from the penalty spot to claim his 17th goal of the campaign.

Things looked grim for the travelling contingent. Yet the Cumbrians were back on level terms within four minutes as Shrewsbury showed why they are anchored to the foot of the table with some farcical defending.

Craig Russell's 36th-minute free-kick struck Peter Wilding and fell to the feet of Wake, just two yards out and unmarked. He couldn't miss the gaping goal.

Ratcliffe was still digesting the equaliser when Wake did it again. This time, he displayed great determination to win the ball and, after exchanging passes with Baldacchino, waltzed through a bemused backline to fire past Cartwright. Their confidence so fragile, the home side looked in danger of collapse. Whatever Ratcliffe said to his players at half-time, clearly didn't work. Within five minutes of the restart, Shrewsbury conceded a third goal.

Again there was indecisiveness among the defenders as Wake robbed Karl Murray and broke through to complete his second hat-trick of the campaign and all but seal United's Third Division place.

The Shrews continued to battle and some timely blocks were needed to protect Matty Glennon's goal.

When Ryan Lowe was sent off within two minutes of coming on for Jemson, the striker shown a red card for tangling with Mark Summerbell, their challenge began to slowly wane.

Rodgers, a player who will surely not be playing non-League football next term, ensured a frantic finish when he beat Glennon with a sublime lob from 20 yards.

For Ratcliffe, the subject of post-match demonstrations, it was too little, too late and the lap of honour belonged to Carlisle chairman John Courtenay.