Roberto Martinez expressed his delight after Everton booked their place in the last four of the Capital One Cup on Tuesday.
The Toffees beat Middlesbrough 2-0 at the Riverside Stadium, courtesy of first-half goals from Gerard Deulofeu and Romelu Lukaku.Read more: Capital One Cup Quarter-Final review
It is the first time Everton have made the Semi-Finals of the competition since 2008, and Martinez believes the club's stature warrants more frequent feats.
“I thought it was a fantastic occasion," he told Everton's official website.
"We know whoever you play away from home, you need to be mature and control the game and I thought we did that really well, especially after what happened after the weekend when we went 2-0 up [against Bournemouth].
“It is a terrific feeling to be in the Semi-Final, because a club with our heritage and history should be aiming for those types of moments, and that is for the fans who came in huge numbers."
The Spaniard knows earning success in the Capital One Cup will require a strong defensive unit, and he was particularly pleased with his side's exploits at the back against Boro.
"I thought we defended really well and we had good attacking opportunities," he added.
“The two goals were exceptional pieces of quality which you can never take for granted.
“But, after going 2-0 up, to keep the clean sheet was probably the most pleasing aspect.”
SEMI-FINAL DRAW
You can find out who Everton face in the last four of the Capital One Cup on Wednesday evening, after the conclusion of Southampton versus Liverpool.
Follow coverage of that game and the draw as it's made via our competition Twitter account - CapitalOne_Cup.