On the pitch, the Apex players were riding a wave of supreme, almost arrogant, confidence.
"Is that a new club record?" Jonathan Rowe yelled to the bench as he jogged back to the halfway line, a massive grin on his face.
"I think the record was just 'scoring a goal'," David Kerrigan shouted back, laughing.
"We're in uncharted territory now, lads!"
Ethan stood in his technical area, trying his best to look like a calm, professional manager, but inside, he was doing cartwheels.
The next twenty minutes were a procession.
Apex United played with a swagger that bordered on cruelty.
They passed the ball in triangles around the bewildered Accrington players, who were chasing shadows.
Emre Demir was untouchable, a ghost in midfield, orchestrating the play with a series of sublime, first-time passes.
"This is an absolute masterclass from the league leaders!" the commentator purred, his voice filled with admiration.
