Lee Johnson says Barnsley have come through another significant mental challenge after they beat Wigan Athletic on penalties to reach the Johnstone's Paint Trophy Northern Area Final.
The Tykes drew 2-2 in normal time at the DW Stadium, before dispatching the Latics 4-2 on penalties.Johnson's side have had it tough in Sky Bet League 1 of late - losing nine of their last 11 - but he believes they showed immense character against a Wigan team who've been flying in recent weeks.
"I thought we worked really hard. We were a constant threat and had decent chances with lots of corners and attacks," he told barnsleyfc.co.uk.
"We defended quite well apart from one of the goals and, on the balance of play, I thought we deserved it.
"To go to penalties is a lottery and you're looking for players to dig in. They showed the spirit today and our fans were noisier than their fans which was massive for the players. It was a great day for us.
"A lot of the work we produced this week has come to fruition. This group is always better when we have a full week to work with them.
"We've come through another mental challenge. Now, we need to focus on the League and can't think about Wembley or those kind of games yet. We have some very important games coming up."