Shaw Lane AFC will this week mark a year since the death of player Daniel Wilkinson while they say their continued success on the pitch is all dedicated to him.

Wilkinson was 24 when he suffered a cardiac arrest on September 12 last year in a League Cup game at Brighouse Town. The Ducks have set up The Daniel Wilkinson Foundation which has so far raised almost a third of its intended target of £50,000 to put towards buying defibrillators at non-league clubs as well as screening for more junior and senior players. 

There is also a stand named after him, which is being stored at the club's new home at Athersley Rec's Sheerien Park while they wait for planning permission to erect it. The team will play an annual friendly against Brighouse and raised money by playing a 'Legends XI' from Wilkinson's first club Hull City this summer.

The Ducks have had an excellent week on the pitch, as they managed to secure their first ever FA Cup win on Saturday, despite having their goalkeeper Jon Stewart sent off on 20 minutes. They then registered a fifth straight league win, and fourth consecutive clean sheet, on Monday evening which put them top of the table.

Manager Craig Elliott says the coming week will be difficult for the club. He said: "Dan is always in our thoughts and not a week goes by that he isn't mentioned in the dressing room. Everything we have achieved and hopefully will achieve in the future is dedicated to him. It's not a great time for the club, with it being the anniversary of something that was so horrible and tragic. We are all thinking of his family.

"We are really looking forward to having his stand up at Rec because we enjoy shooting towards it and it's a big motivation for us. What happened to Dan touched everybody in non-league football. A lot of money has been raised and people are still making donations which is amazing."

Shaw Lane have now won six games in a row after losing their first two this season. In the FA Cup against Radcliffe Borough on Saturday, Chib Chilaka had put the Ducks ahead but goalkeeper Stewart was dismissed for bringing down a player who had dispossessed him inside in the box. The penalty was slotted for 1-1 but Chilaka scored again then set up David Norris who made it 3-1 on 36 minutes and Shaw Lane's ten men saw out the victory.

Elliott said: "It's the first time the club has won a game in the FA Cup which is very important to us. We want to go on a long run and hopefully get some really big draws. It was not ideal having Jon sent off but the lads were brilliant with ten men and we deserved to win the game."

Against Rushall Olympic on Monday, man of the match Godwin Abadaki opened the scoring midway through the first half then substitute Nicky Walker secured the win in injury-time. Elliott said: "We were tired from playing with ten men on Saturday but the first half was the best we have played all season and it's another great result."

The Ducks now visit Lancaster City tomorrow and Whitby Town on Tuesday. They have been drawn at Blyth Spartans in the second round of the FA Cup qualifying on September 16.