Accrington Stanley manager John Coleman admitted that he was pleased to progress to the next round of the Leasing.com Trophy with a 3-0 win over Oldham Athletic, especially after making nine changes to his side from Saturday's draw with Oxford United.
Stanley scored two first half goals through Sadou Diallo and Offrande Zanzala before Dylan Fage was sent off for the hosts, before Jordan Clark added a third goal four minutes from time but Coleman praised the Latics for the way they started the game.
"I think you've got to give Oldham a bit of credit because they started off really well and pinned us back for the first 15 or 20 minutes.
"We were probably the architects of our own downfall and we were giving the ball away in our own half too cheaply, making the wrong choice of pass and we couldn't really get our advanced midfielders on the ball.
"We settled down after about 25 minutes and we started passing it properly, scored a great goal, a well-worked free-kick and a great strike from Sadou.
"You could see the confidence coming back to us and then we started playing our proper game, we passed it in the right areas and the choice of pass was good, we made a couple of good chances and then we've got the penalty.
"The sending off then sealed the game but give Oldham their due, they came at us in the second half and made a couple of good chances themselves, Toby's (Savin) made a couple of good saves again."
Clark's goal capped an impressive performance by the Reds and it also secured the club's place in the next round of the Leasing.com Trophy, an achievement Coleman certainly views as a big opportunity for the club.
"We got a little bit sloppy in possession, but then we showed seeing the game out how well we can pass the ball and Jordan's scored a wonderful goal and Erico (De Sousa) could've capped the night with a 60 or 70 pass move and he's fluffed his lines with his shot.
"I'm pleased to go through and I think that's us qualified now, that was our objective from the start.
"We've got an opportunity in this cup and we've got to try and take it."
Diallo's opener came in the form of a rocketed strike from the edge of the box and Coleman spoke very highly of the midfielder, who is on loan from Wolverhampton Wanderers.
"We'd spoke about how they brought everybody back into their box to defend set-plays, we thought we could work an opening on the edge of the box which we did and it was a fantastic strike by Sadou and he's got that in him.
"He does that in training regularly and Jordan Clark's is a wonderful move and it's a very composed finish.
"We could have had more if you're being greedy but they could have had a few themselves, so you know we're pleased that we've got a clean sheet and it's nice for Toby as well, that'll do his confidence the world of good."
The game saw the referee have to make a few big decisions but Coleman agreed that the two challenges on Lamine Kaba Sherif were right to result in a penalty and then the red card for Fage.
"It's late, it's high and we're lucky we haven't got an injury, there could have been another one on the edge of the box late on, another bad challenge on Lammy again.
"The penalty is a clumsy one, he hasn't seen our player coming and it was Lammy again, and he's caught him."
Coleman also explained how he was happy that he was able to make nine changes and still see a convinving performance from his team, and he now hopes his side can extend their run of only losing one game in the last nine.
"We want to go on a run and we've been saying this, we've lost one in nine now so we know we're going in the right direction and we've got good players in the squad.
"We have made nine changes but anyone of them could step up to the plate if they were asked, so that bodes well for the future.
"We've got a massive game now, ironically in this neck of the woods again, on Saturday and we've got to try and build on what we've done tonight, what we did last week and what we did the week before.
"We've spoke to the players about being right and working hard in training and trying to catch the eye in training.
"I think our lads showed tonight that they are fit and they are willing and ready and able, so when they're called upon I'm sure they'll deliver."