Sky Blues Under 23s coach, Jason Farndon expresses his sense of pride in his side’s performances at Elland Road last night.
City suffered defeat in extra time against Leeds United, having come from behind twice to send the game to beyond the 90 minutes.
Leeds scored in the 114th minute to win the game and send them into the Professional Development League final to face either Birmingham City or Ipswich Town.
Talking after the final whistle, Farndon admitted he couldn’t have asked for much more from his side throughout the game.
“I’m really proud.” Farndon said.
“Firstly, the team we put out is a little bit thread bare so we knew they would have to last the 120 minutes.
“We had really young lads on the bench and we spoke before the game about suffering and being the underdogs and we spent a lot of time without the ball.
“Leeds are incredible, and they are the bench mark of football at this level, they are literally outstanding and something our boys should be aspiring to.
“You see with the subs they bring on, they come on and change the game, but we made a couple of mistakes which gifts them goals.
“We knew we had to stay in the game and get them on the counter attack and we did that well so I can’t ask for any more off the boys.”
City fell a goal behind in the game after just three minutes, before David Bremang found an equaliser just after half-time.
Leeds thought they’d won it in the 84th minute, but Josh Eccles scored with almost the last kick of the game to send it to extra time.
Having given everything in the game, the lads began to tire in the later parts of the game and ultimately conceded five minutes from time.
Farndon believes his side showed their team spirit in the game and worked for one another during the game.
“We spoke about team ethic and no individual and they really did that, some of the lads have never played at this level with that much pressure, so for them to keep coming back like they did is what we are proud of and what they need to take into next year.
“The boys go mad at me for the amount we train, but it is for nights like that where we can keep pushing the limits, I don’t want them to know their limits, so they need to keep suffering.
“If you are injured keeping going and going and that is what is needed to break into the first team so that is what we will try to instil in them.”