Shaw Lane AFC are hoping their FA Cup run, which ended in a first round defeat to Mansfield Town, will give them impetus in their search for a sixth promotion in seven years and also increase their fanbase.

The Ducks were level at 1-1 with the League Two Stags, who play three divisions above them, at half-time but lost 3-1 live on BT Sport on Saturday lunchtime.Chairman Craig Wood, who had built the club up from a Sunday League team in 2011, said: "It was a very proud day for all of us. The result could have been better but we gave them a good fight and matched them for 70 minutes. The lads did us all proud.

"It was a great feeling when we scored and also going into half-time knowing we were well and truly in the game. Everyone at the club worked hard to organise it and the day went really well. It was a big ask to put on a game on TV with so many more fans than we usually have, but we really enjoyed it."

The Ducks, who have been averaging gates of 200, fell short of the 2,000 capacity sell-out they were hoping for. But the attendance of 1,504 is exactly 600 bigger than the club record when they played at Shaw Lane and faced Athersley Rec, who they now groundshare with at Sheerien Park.

Wood said: "I think we would have had a sell-out if the game hadn't clashed with Barnsley's match. But it shows that there are a lot of people out there who want to see us play. I would like to think that a fair few of them will come back and we will see the crowds increase.

"Hopefully we will have a promotion challenge this season and that is something new fans can get behind. The financial rewards of the cup run (estimated at slightly more than £100,000) could help us enhance the squad as the season goes on and make sure we are title contenders. The crowds and the atmosphere of the FA Cup have given us real impetus and momentum."

Manager Craig Elliott is now shifting his focus to the Evo-Stik Premier Division, in which Shaw Lane are currently fourth but only four points off the top with several games in hand on the sides above them. 

Elliott said: "I am very proud of my players and everybody off the pitch who worked hard to put on the cup tie. I couldn't have asked any more of the players. In the end it came down to the quality of finishing from Danny Rose who is a local lad. Fair play to him because he delivered. Mansfield deserved to win. I said to the players in the dressing room that we could enjoy it for that night then move on and look to the league because we want to get another promotion."