The win, however was marred by the sending off of AC Stags player Bojan Nedanoski for contact with a referee.

“It was a very comfortable win in the end by the boys, but we’re all mates. We didn’t want to make it too big but you couldn’t help it when they went down to ten men. It put a dampener on it,” Stags captain Aaron Swanson told the Post.

The last time the two sides met in the STFA Cup final, it was the second grade side that caused an upset with a 3-0 win.

It wasn’t to be this time, but Swanson says that’s because the gap has grown.

“Last year most of the squad that won are now playing first grade with us. They’re young and that’s how much they have improved.

Normally there isn’t much of a gap between the two sides. For the captain it was a mixed weekend.

The side went into the STFA Cup final off the back of a 1-0 win against Hill Top on Saturday, but the match had seen the skipper re-injure his hamstring.

He sat through the Cup final on the sidelines.

“I expect to be out for five to six weeks now,” the skipper said. Stags now have a do or die clash against Exeter this weekend.

Exeter are the only team to have beaten the Stags this season and a win will see the Stags cement a seven point buffer between themselves on top spot and Exeter on second.