COUNDON Cons midfielder Phil Brumwell admitted that winning an FA Sunday Cup winners medal is the highlight of his football career.

The former Sunderland and Darlington player was in two Wembley squads with the Quakers, and finished a loser twice, but after skipping with delight in front of the Anfield Kop after the 5-0 win over Bristol Lebeq Tavern, he said: "Getting to Wembley twice with Darlington was great, but this tops the lot because we are all mates at the Cons, and there's nothing better than winning a cup with your mates.

"Seeing my family in the Kop was a big bonus as well. Some of them couldn't make the Wembley games, and for them to be there at the game makes it all the better. Winning the game topped the lot, especially winning at the ground of the club I support."

Brumwell supplied the pass for Lee Ellison to score the first goal, and he said: "Lee's early goal really settled everybody down. We expected them to come more at us in the second half, but they didn't really create any chances, and our keeper, Mark Bell, had nothing to do.

"Who would have thought that after our first win in the competition we'd go all the way to the final and win it?"

Former Darlington striker Lee Ellison scored the first goal after just 48 seconds and set up another two before he was subbed by Steve Johnson with 15 minutes left. Johnson's contribution was to race clear and add another two goals.

"It doesn't get any better," said Ellison, now 35. "In the early games, we sat back and had a look at teams, but this time we decided to take the game to them from the start. We wanted to get out of the traps quick, and we did.

"When the ball left my foot, I had half a feeling that it would go in. It swerved and dipped on its way to the keeper, maybe that was why he made a mess of it.

"I thought that even though we were 2-0 up at half time, I didn't think that we were at our best, but we said at half time that we didn't want to concede a goal and let them back in it. The third goal when it came finished them off."

Another former Darlington player Danny Key, who had a storming game in midfield alongside Brumwell, said: "We've always had belief in this cup run, ever since our first game, and we always believed that we would win at Anfield.

"We had a good talk before the game, and there were one or two emotional speeches in our hotel that made a big difference to us."

The 5-0 victory is the largest ever winning margin in a Sunday Cup final, and Ellison's goal is one of the quickest in a Sunday Cup final.