Tom Shaw praised the composure and character of his side after the Imps secured a 1-0 victory at Preston North End.
Freddie Draper came off the bench to score the decisive goal as City claimed all three points following a controlled display at Deepdale.
Shaw felt the Imps executed their game plan well, particularly in the opening period when they looked to take some of the momentum away from the hosts by being patient in possession.
He said: “In a pretty quick turnaround we did a lot of work through videos and training sessions on our lads being a little bit calmer and more confident in possession, which we were.
“We have to play the game that’s in front of us. I thought the players showed confidence with the ball, knew when to switch it and knew when to get into their half a little bit slower.
“We just didn’t want to give the ball back too easily. They’ve got some real quality players who will hurt you if you get it wrong, so we wanted to be in charge of some situations and I think in the first half we did that brilliantly.”
City also had to demonstrate their defensive qualities as North End applied pressure, with Shaw particularly pleased by the way his side protected their penalty area.
He added: “The lads were terrific. I thought we defended our penalty area amazingly in all scenarios in the game, led by Sonny Bradley, who I thought was immense, among some other big, strong characters. That got us the clean sheet.”
The depth available to Shaw and Chris Cohen proved important again, with Ivan Varfolomeev providing energy before Draper made the telling contribution from the bench.
Shaw said: “I feel like we’ve got a bench where, whatever the situation is, we can make ourselves stronger.
“I thought Ivan’s contribution was phenomenal. His energy just drove the team forward, and obviously Freddie came off the bench and had his magic moment.
“The last time I was here, Freddie scored in a 1-0 win in the Youth Cup when he was 16 years of age, so maybe it was written in the stars that he’d have his moment, which he deserves.”
Shaw reserved his final words for the travelling Imps, whose celebrations greeted the players at the final whistle.
He added: “They were incredible. They sang for the whole game. They’re so good in the tough moments. When our players have to dig in, the noise and the energy comes, and we really, really appreciate it.
“The feeling after Freddie’s goal and the reaction of the supporters at the end is what we do all of this for. All the dedication from the players and the staff is for those moments with the supporters.
“This is just the start. We’re only going to get better, which is very exciting. We know we’re going to take a few bloody noses along the way, but I feel the connection has been brilliant, and long may that continue.”
