Nathan Rooney says he is over the moon with the character his players showed in Tuesday’s 2-1 win at Tamworth.
Rooney saw his side come from a goal behind to progress to the third round of the FA Youth Cup.
The Lambs took the lead in the second half through a Chandler Pegg hooked shot, but midfielder Liam Collings converted a penalty late on to send the tie into extra-time.
With the first period coming to a close, it was Jack Bishop’s neat finish that sealed the win for Town, and manager Rooney couldn’t be any happier with their response.
“The lads showed great hunger tonight,” said Rooney.
“Being one goal behind and down to 10 men, you have to be happy with the players who turned it around. As staff, the character is the first sign you look at.
“When we scored the penalty and made it 1-1, we had to change our mind set to get through to extra-time. Our fitness levels and our conditioning allowed us to finish the game out on top."
“I am over the moon with the character shown.”
Rooney saw his side have chances in the first half of the match to open the scoring but saw something in his side he hasn’t seen before.
Rooney added: “In the end we got what we needed.
“However, something is wrong if we start playing better with ten men. I have to give credit to Tamworth because it felt like the Guiseley match last round where the game could have changed at any time.
“I believe their goal was preventable. We will look back at the video footage and make sure we learn heading into the match game.
“My players didn’t buckle and let’s be honest, it’s probably the best I have seen the group play and that ticked all the boxes.
“The scenes at the end were great, especially in these occasions but I can say to the lads now that they have done it. They’ve proved themselves but now we need to be more consistent.