Ryan Farrell praised his young Bantams' character after they progressed to the second round of the FA Youth Cup with a 2-1 victory at Morecambe.
City's Lead Professional Development Phase Coach admitted it was a “nice feeling” to get through, and lauded his side's ability to show their style, and impose that on the game.
Despite frustration at the goal the Bantams conceded, Farrell was delighted with the character the players showed to win in stoppage time.
He said: “It is a nice feeling to get through, but it was difficult for us to concede in that manner.
“We talk a lot about set-pieces and dealing with direct play, so it was a shame to concede that kind of goal.
“I thought we showed great character to bounce back and stick to our way of playing. We managed to create two good chances and put them away.
“We asked the lads to be brave. I thought we struggled with that a little bit and had some occasional nerves, but we settled into the game after the first 20 to 25 minutes.
“We tried to impose ourselves on the game and show our style, and we want to be competitive at the same time.
“To score late on and for the lads to remain humble in their behaviour was pleasing. Across the board, they showed our culture.
“I thought they dealt with it really well and it shows what we are doing in the academy in terms of challenging players to achieve their objectives. I thought they dealt with the experience really well.”
Farrell praised the application of the side, in particular match-winner Freddie Jeffreys, whose last-gasp thunderbolt was enough to earn victory for the young Bantams.
He added: “Freddie produced a little bit of magic - which he has got in his locker - which we relied on in the end, so I am really pleased for him.
“He has got the ability to do that. He is just coming back from injury as well, so it is exciting to get him back, and we are happy to have him in the team.
“He got through 90 minutes, and it will be good to build on that. We have a few players who can produce magic, and Freddie is one of them. We were very grateful for that moment.
“We drew from our experiences and used them in our favour. This is another experience ticked off, and we will continue to give the lads experiences we can build on.”