Sheffield Eagles: Hat-trick hero Aaron Brown in 'dreamland' after helping Eagles to 1895 Cup glory at Wembley

“It is surreal just to walk out at Wembley,” Brown admitted.

“To get a hat-trick was absolutely mad and I am absolutely made up - on cloud nine.

“Not many people get a hat-trick at Wembley and I have managed to bag one.”

Brown described the 80 minutes’ action as “a bit of a blur”, but reflected: “It was a tough game.

“Widnes have a lot of good players, they have just come down from Super League and they are still full-time.

“Our boys stuck in there, our forward pack laid the platform and we took it to them.

“In the second half we kept our composure better, we upped our completion rate and our kicking game was very good.”

Brown - signed from Dewsbury Rams last autumn - reckons the win two days ago will be “massive” for the club as they aim to secure a place in the Betfred Championship play-offs.

“We are sitting in sixth, which I don’t think is bad for a new group,” he added.

“We can make the top-five, it is just a matter of sticking in there.”

Mark Aston, man of the match when Eagles beat Wigan Warriors in the 1998 Challenge Cup final, is now a Wembley winner as coach and player.

“It is special,” he said.

“I am so proud of the players.

“We were under the pump a bit and at 12-0 down maybe the occasion got to us a little bit, but the second 40 minutes typified what we are about: hard-working, honest and committed.”