Hull City started the game with just 13 fit senior players, but Robert Snodgrass and Curtis Davies praised the team spirit in the side as the Tigers beat Premier League champions Leicester 2-1 on opening day.
Adama Diomande's overhead kick was cancelled out by a Riyad Mahrez penalty but Snodgrass gave the Tigers a shock 2-1 win with a fine shot from outside the box.
"It's a great feeling, but it's a new season," said Snodgrass. "We are obviously a bunch of lads that got promoted last year, but we showed great spirit. It's been a tough few weeks during preseason. The lads have stuck to the task in hand and that is sticking together."
Davies added: "There was a lot of frustration throughout preseason. The main thing was that we stick together. We always had togetherness, but it gave us an extra boost knowing we had nothing to lose. We enjoyed our football. Me and Snods think it's Diamonde [first goalscorer]. I've never seen a double bicycle kick before."