Steve Cooper hailed the attitude of his England U16s side after they defeated Northern Ireland 1-0 on Friday.
A free-kick from Andre Dozzell in the first half saw the Young Lions seal the victory at Stangmore Park in Dungannon – which means they still stand a chance of lifting the Victory Shield with victory over Scotland in their final game later this month.
"First half we did some nice things and controlled possession quite well. We managed the game from the first minute,” Cooper told TheFA.com.
Northern Ireland 0-1 England U16s
Sky Sports Victory Shield
Friday 7 November
Stangmore Park, Dungannon
"We got a hold of the ball and put some nice passes together, and we looked like an England team that were playing how we wanted.
"They dropped off us quite a bit, so that made it difficult, but it was a good challenge for us.”
The England boss continued: “We got the breakthrough from Andre, which was great technique, and we started to look a lot more threatening as the half went on - we were probably disappointed when half-time came really.”
After an impressive opening, Cooper admitted his side failed to recapture their momentum after the break, but he was pleased with the attitude his youngsters displayed.
"The second half was a bit stop-start, and we never managed to get any rhythm going, but the boys showed a good attitude in trying to stick to their principles and do the right thing,” he said.
"When it is difficult, I think that is when it is important that your attitude is right, and from that you learn from that going forward.
"We’ve had a really good week, the attitude and commitment of the players has been brilliant and they showed a real good level. Everybody will gain from it.”
And having had his first opportunity to work with the squad over the last fortnight, Cooper was keen to point out the importance of his players development as his most important job over gaining any result.
"This is the first part of the players international journey, so every game is an experience,” he added.
"We want to embed our DNA on the players, how we want them to play, so it’s about giving them the opportunities.
"It’s all about developing them as an England player.”
Next up for the Young Lions is a home fixture against Scotland in Yeovil on Thursday 20 November.
