Harlee Dean said Brentford were “happy” with their 1-0 win over Brighton and Hove Albion on Saturday but called on the side to be more clinical moving forward.
The Bees recorded their second consecutive 1-0 win, after beating Rotherham United last week, with Andre Gray scoring the only goal in the first half.
Brighton were reduced to ten men around the hour mark and Brentford had a number of chances to seal the win but failed to take them.
That gave the hosts a chance to snatch a point and Brentford had to defend well in the later stages to keep them out.
Harlee said with a one-goal lead and a man extra Brentford should have controlled the game more than they did.
“It is a 1-0 win away from home,” said the defender, speaking to Bees Player.
“It is our second 1-0 win in a row and our second clean sheet.
“It is a good win and we have to take positives from it but, at the same time, they were down to ten men and we have to be more clinical.
“We should have got a second goal and maybe a few more.
“We are happy that we won but we will take things to learn from it.
“It is a good clean sheet but we are winning 1-0 and they are counter-attacking us.
“It should be the other way around.
“We need to be more solid, keep the ball and break on them.
“I think we were naïve at times.
“We have to learn to control the game more, take our chances and not get caught.
“That is what they are waiting for.”
Harlee said being positive and trying to score more goals was not an excuse for failing to see the game out in the best way.
“In the Championship it is all about points and we need to win games,” he said.
“If we have to play ugly when we are winning 1-0, that is what we have to do.
“We have to keep the ball, fight and tackle and do whatever it takes to get the points.
“They had a chance right at the end, could have equalised and we would have gone away feeling terrible.”
Harlee said Brentford got the game they expected.
The teams have met three times this season, The Bees have won both league games but Brighton won in the FA Cup at Griffin Park earlier this month.
Harlee said The Bees knew Brighton would push Iñigo Calderón up from right back but that would give Brentford room.
Brentford’s goal came when Stuart Dallas won the ball on the left; he accelerated in to space and cut the ball back for Gray, whose shot deflected in.
“We have played them three times now, we have analysed them and we know a lot about them,” said Harlee.
“We know they will let us have the ball and try and let our left side have it.
“We knew they would push Calderón on but there would be space on the left.
“We knew what to expect and we had to be better.
“Thankfully we got the win.”
The clean sheet was Brentford’s second in a row after six games without one.
Harlee said Brentford’s attacking philosophy meant they couldn’t expect to keep lots of clean sheets but they wanted to get them.
He said he felt like the experienced member of a back four that also included Moses Odubajo, James Tarkowski and Jake Bidwell and added that with Toy Craig fighting for a spot in the team, competition was making him a better player.
“Clean sheets win titles,” said Harlee.
“But, with the way we play, can we expect a lot of them, I don’t know.
“We can always try and I don’t want to lose heavily.
“Clean sheets are what it is about, we have two in a row now and we want another next week.
“Anyone can slip in anywhere.
“We have three good centre halves; I am fighting to keep my shirt.
“I have Mo next to me; he is still learning but can be a top right back.
“Jake Bidwell is solid on the other side and Tarky can be a top centre half.
“I feel like the experienced one and try to help with little things when needed.
“You have to be on your best every game.
“I want to be the best I can be.
“We all have aspirations; I want to go to the top.
“I want to play and I want to play well, having someone breathing down your neck aids the good performances.”
Harlee said Brentford knew what they hadn’t done well in the later stages.
“We moved the ball too slowly, we took the tempo out of the game,” he said.
“That suited them.
“With them having ten we needed to move it quicker and find the spaces.
“We took tool many touches and that gave them a sniff.
“They broke and had chances.
“That is where we have to be better.
“We need to see games out.”
Harlee also praised almost 3,000 Brentford fans who made the trip south.
“The support has been fantastic,” he said.
“We knew how many were coming down and it makes us want to play better.
When they are louder than the home crowd, you can’t ask for more.
“It’s a big thank you from the squad and staff for the effort they put in.”
A full video interview with Harlee Dean is available here for Bees Player subscribers.