Bradford City youth team boss Wetherall hails his blue-eyed boys

City travel to the winners of this afternoon’s match between Preston and Swansea in the last 32 after Tuesday’s dramatic penalties win over high-flying Southampton.

Wetherall was thrilled with the way his players held their nerve in the shoot-out after being pegged back by a last-gasp equaliser.

He said: “I thought the momentum had changed with that moment. To see a shot in injury-time at the end of extra-time go in off the underside of the bar was a massive blow.

“But the players showed superb character to step up to the plate again, especially after then missing the first penalty.

“We’d also taken off three penalty takers, both strikers and Joe Mitchell, because of the way the game had gone. Two of them would have been in the first five and the other probably our sixth.

“The penalties were fantastic. I know what it’s like when you’re ninth, tenth or 11th in line and it’s closing in on your go.

“But fortunately Chris Cheetham made sure he saved the tenth so he didn’t have to take the next one!”

Despite beating one of the top academy teams in the country, Wetherall admitted it had not been a vintage display.

“We’ve played miles better on the ball in some league games.

We didn’t particularly show a lot of what we’re about, which is getting good possession and passing it well.

“But you can only do what the opposition allow you to. Southampton have very good players but we defended as a team superbly, closing down and pressuring them.

“Our desire, organisation and spirit, as well as some of the play on the break, was excellent.”

The fourth-round tie will take place in the new year and the coach sees it as a bonus.

“We weren’t expected to get to this stage and beat the likes of Southampton.

“We had a very hard game in the first round against Rochdale and now we’ve beaten two very good youth teams. The players can just enjoy it from here.

“We’ll go out there confident in the next round and relish the challenge.”