Mark Trueman was delighted with his side’s efforts, following a 3-2 FA Youth Cup victory over Carlisle United.
Under-16 Harvey Rowe sealed the deal, late on in extra time, to send the Bantams into the third round, at Brunton Park.
City’s lead professional development coach was keen to stress the difficulty of these fixtures but identified the Carlisle win as a great "memory" for the players.
He said: "The game was terrific in terms of character and desire. For the players to keep going until the end was great.
"Jorge Sikora and Kian Scales going down with cramp really just goes to show how much effort the lads put in.
"Plus, with the lads keeping up the effort through to extra time and an under-16 coming on and grabbing the winner is brilliant.
"These sorts of fixtures create memories for the lads which they will remember forever.
"I do not want to feel like a party pooper, but the hard work starts now.
"Obviously, the players have got to enjoy the win but they have to keep working harder.
"The challenge will be even tougher - against Stoke City - in the next round, as well as the game this weekend.
"Games like this show football can be special.
"The players should enjoy the win and their following day off, but then it is back to work and concentrating on the next game."
The under-18s will play host to category one side Stoke City in the next round. Trueman hopes his team are prepared for the tough match ahead.
He said: "We need to be prepared for not being with the ball as much as we like. We are obviously a possession-based team.
"But, when you are playing against category one and two clubs, you expect them to keep the ball better when they regain it.
"So, we are going to have to be better without possession but we will just keep implementing our game.
"We are not struggling for goals so we will just have to keep building on our performances and keep working on our philosophy."
Full fixture and ticketing details for the young Bantams’ third-round clash will be released in due course.