Shola Ameobi believes Notts County's performance in the 1-1 draw at Luton is proof they are more than a match for the league leaders.
The striker's header shortly after the hour mark secured a point for the Magpies, who had fallen behind to Johnny Mullins' first-half header.
And the 36-year-old was full of praise for the way his team-mates handled the occasion of the big first-versus-second clash at Kenilworth Road.
"We knew it was going to be tough and the atmosphere was quite ferocious," said Ameobi. "But I think we dealt with it very well, which showed the character of the players.
"We were disappointed to lose the goal after having so many chances but this side have shown resiliency. We had to dig in at times.
"They're a good side at home but we showed our quality. We're delighted to get a point in the end and it goes to show we can mix it with the best in the league."
Ameobi's goal was the least Notts deserved for their efforts going forward, particularly after a strong opening half an hour, and he was pleased to see the team's endeavour rewarded with a point on the road.
"I thought we were the better side," he admitted. "They have a lot of great attacking players but the boys at the back defended unbelievably well and I can't really think of a time when they opened us up.
"It was important that we were solid, which we spoke about before the game, and the guys played them perfectly.
"They've been scoring seven and eight goals against teams here so to limit them to a goal from a set-piece is testament to how hard we worked."