Rene Howe and Ronnie Henry on Stevenage's FA Youth Cup win

Having led 1- thanks to a first-half Lenny Brown goal, Boro were pegged back seven minutes into stoppage time by a Tom King strike.

However, with penalties looming, three goals in a five minute spell in the second period of extra-time gave them a 4-1 success and a place in round three.

Lead coach Rene Howe said: "The main thing was that we won and the way the boys plugged together and worked hard and had that desire to still continue after conceding in the dying seconds, that is a testament to what Jorden [Gibson] and Ronnie [Henry] have basically given me and what I'm coaching now.  

"That's something that they have instilled in them. 

While the first half had become one-way traffic, second half there was more defending needed.

But it looked like they had got through that with a clean sheet before the late leveller.

Ronnie Henry, however, was also pointing at the side's character.

He said: "We have defended like that for large periods of this season, and last season as well.  

"They've been very good and it is not just the four that were out there, it's all the players that have played in the back line before.  

"And that's not just them. If you watch the forwards and the midfield and the amount of work they get through to protect the defence and the goalkeeper, they looked comfortable for 70 minutes and then it started to get a bit shaky. 

"You expect that in front of a crowd and with plenty of their family here. 

"The goal was hard to take but to be fair to the players, we said to them in the interval that they had too much for Cheltenham and if you really want it, the hard work we put in on the training ground and the grit and the determination and that never say die attitude, you can go out there and be the match winner. 

"We have full faith in the group. They've got a lot more in them and they will go through brick walls for you.  

"They've done it for me for just over two years now and I know what they've got in them."

READ MORE: Stevenage beat Cheltenham Town 4-1 in the FA Youth Cup - report

Lenny Brown has now scored three in two FA Youth Cup games. Picture: HUGO LOGAN/STEVENAGE FC (Image: Hugo Logan/Stevenage FC) Like the first round against MK Dons, that one ending 4-0, there were some stand-out performers aside from the two goalscorers, Brown and Taye Cadman who each got two.

Ellis Bates at right-back was one, a tall rangy defender with a penchant for getting forward, while striker Frank Norris was another, a throwback in many ways to old school centre-forwards.

Howe said: "Ellis is like that in every training session but previously to this, he's had a wrist injury, so he hasn't really been playing at all. 

But the last four or five he has played , he’s been sensational. We've seen the quality in training but now you're seeing it on match day as well. 

"And Frank, I was a proper number nine as well but probably not as good as him.  

"If it comes in to him, you know it's going to stick but he can do the flicks as well and if players read him, they'll get in on goal. 

"You saw the ball through for Taye, that's great play. 

"He hasn’t scored but he’s got an assist and that’s those little bits where he's holding up and bringing players in and linking the play. 

"If strikers aren’t scoring or assisting, can they do that as well? And all round, his play was very good."

Henry added: "Frank Norris up front is a handful. He's the kind of player that every team needs, a bit rough and ready."