PIERO Mingoia says winning the play-off final would be the best way to reward the fans after Saturday’s disappointment in front of a packed Wham Stadium.

The midfielder and his colleagues couldn’t find a way past Stevenage, meaning Bristol Rovers’ injury-time winner at home to Dagenham saw the Pirates leapfrog the Reds and into third place.

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The agony of going so close to automatic promotion is tough to take for fans and players alike.

But Mingoia is confident Stanley can focus on beating AFC Wimbledon over two legs, starting with the trip to London on Saturday, and still achieve their goal of promotion.

“It’s our job; it’s what we get paid to do,” he said.

“If someone puts a game in front of us we have got to go out and give it absolutely everything," he said.

“Everyone is gutted but as soon as we turn up we will have one objective in our heads and that’s to beat Wimbledon in the play-offs.

“Like all the lads, I am absolutely heartbroken.

“It’s probably the worst feeling most of us will ever experience in our careers, whether we have long or short careers.

“But it is what it is and we owe it to everyone and ourselves and our families to give it absolutely everything in the next two games.”

The empty feeling of going so close to making history for the club was only added to by the superb backing of a full house at the Wham Stadium, but Mingoia is determined to pay back the fans who got right behind their side.

He added: “The atmosphere was unbelievable and the occasion was superb.

“We all dreamed of making it to five o’clock when the atmosphere would be buzzing, there would be a pitch invasion, but it didn’t go that way and we have to reward the fans in a different way now.”