Rosler so proud of brave Fleetwood after shootout agony

Town looked on course to bag a place in the second round after Aaron Amadi-Holloway’s first goal for the club put them ahead in the 13th minute.

But that was cancelled out by Marcus Antonsson with one minute to go and the game went to extra-time.

It was 2-2 after the extra half-hour as Chris Wood’s controversial penalty was cancelled out by Town substitute Ash Hunter.

But with the shootout tied at 4-4, Pablo Hernandez scored for Leeds and Eggert Jonsson saw his spot-kick saved.

But Rosler says that if his men take the attitude they showed against the Championship side which sacked him last October into their League One campaign they will do well.

However, he will be looking at the transfer market over the next few days.

Rosler said: “My players were fantastic. Our penalties were actually very good and this Leeds team is by no means comparable to the team I had one year ago. It is now a Championship team with Premier League qualities and those qualities won them the game. That was the difference.

“We had a never-say-die spirit. They can handle disappointments and setbacks and we just have to improve our general understanding.

“We have to improve our younger players and balance out our squad to help the younger ones to develop.

“The confidence is sky high and the players are buying into everything that we do.

“I wasn’t so angry that we had lost but I was a little bit unhappy we had to go over 120 minutes with only two days until the game against Scunthorpe on Saturday.

“I’m very proud of my players. Everyone in the 18 and the guys who did not come on helped the players who were on the pitch. They built them up when we had to go into extra-time.

“The players came back. They did the same at Northampton to draw on Saturday and it is a great starting point for us.

“Our destiny will not be decided by a cup competition. Our season will be defined by the league.

“But with that attitude every week we will get great results over time.

“I know we need to do one or things more in the transfer window and we will do, but in general I am very happy with everybody involved in this game.”