After watching his Bolton Wanderers team reach an FA Youth Cup quarter-final for the first time in over 40 years, Peter Farrell had no doubts that his team deserve to be in the last eight of the competition.

The U18s coach helped to mastermind Wanderers 1-0 victory over Nottingham Forest on Wednesday evening, a result which sets up prize tie against either Liverpool or Chelsea in the next round.

Farrell praised the scholars second half defensive resilience after Maison McGeechan had put the Whites ahead just after the half-time interval, whilst he also expressed his delight in the manner which his players battled through to the very end of a demanding contest.

"It was a great result again and the lads fully deserve to be in the next round of the competition," said Farrell.

"When you have beaten a team 4-0 earlier in the season then psychologically you do have the upper hand, so we went into the game with a lot of confidence anyway. We have played three games in the FA Youth Cup now and kept a clean sheet in each one, so it's better form than we have been showing in the league.

"It was a tight game but I felt we dominated the first half. We created four or five chances and played some good passing football in the process. We knew that Nottingham Forest would come out after half-time and try to attack us, but we got a goal within five minutes of the restart and that settled us down a little bit.

"They came back into the game during the last half an hour and at times it was backs against the wall stuff from us. However we defended really well and our attitude, commitment and desire to win the game was absolutely fantastic.

"The lads seem up for it and it's usually the other way around in that they can't handle the pressure games. It makes you look at certain lads who you think haven't got that character. There were one or two who did show that last night, and although I wasn't surprised by it, we haven't seen as much of it as we would like so far this season.

"It's good for the club and I got a text off someone last night who said that it was the first time that a Bolton Wanderers youth team had reached the quarter-finals of this competition in 40 years, so it is an achievement if you think about it, even though it is only at this stage."