Stuart McCall was delighted with his side's performance at the University of Bolton Stadium, as the Bantams progressed to the second round of the Carabao Cup.
Goals from Lee Novak and Harry Pritchard were enough to ensure a 2-1 victory for City against Bolton Wanderers in the opening game of the 2020/21 campaign.
McCall praised the efforts of his players against the Trotters, but insisted they were only the first steps of a challenging season ahead.
He said: “It was a positive start to the season. We put in a good, promising performance in lots of ways. We scored two brilliant goals and created good chances, throughout.
“We showed great character in the match. Bolton scored an early goal at the beginning of the second half which gave them the impetus, but we showed the belief we have in the squad.
“At times in the match, we got forward well and showed a lot of confidence. Bolton put on the pressure in the second half, and we defended really well when we needed to.
“We are not getting carried away as we know there will be bumps in the road, but it is the start we wanted and deserved.”
The Bantams boss was also impressed by the quality in numbers shown by his squad and encouraged by the impact of match-winning substitute Harry Pritchard.
He added: “We know we have got to work with a tight-knit squad, but have got plenty of depth across the board.
“Harry Pritchard has been excellent for us and we know he has always got a goal in him.
“Tyler French has done really well throughout pre-season and deserved his chance, so there were a lot of positives.
“We had some very big performances and I am really looking forward to watching the game back again.”
The Bantams open their EFL Trophy campaign on Tuesday (September 8) with a 7.30pm trip to Doncaster Rovers. CLICK HERE to purchase an iFollow video match pass.