Clayton Donaldson said he knew his first goal of the season was around the corner after hitting the winner in Brentford’s Sky Bet League One victory over Walsall.

The striker, who scored 24 goals in 2012/13, rose to head home a Shaleum Logan cross towards the end of the first half against Walsall.

It proved to be the only goal of the game and gave Brentford their third home win in three outings.

The striker hit the crossbar on the first day of the season against Port Vale and the post last week against Gillingham, where he also had a goal ruled out for offside.

Clayton admitted he wanted to get off the mark but always had belief it would come.

“The first goal of the season is the difficult one,” he said.

“When you start a new season you want to get off the mark.

“I am no different.

“After three games without a goal you start to worry, even when you have scored a lot last season.

“In the last few games I have hit the crossbar, hit the post, scored a disallowed goal, I knew it was coming.

“It was about having the belief, I could have had two or three.

“You can never go on past seasons.

“It is a new chapter, a new season.

“I try and wipe my slate clean and improve on the previous season.

“I start afresh.”

Clayton praised the delivery from Shaleum Logan that created the goal and said it meant more that it was the winning goal.

“Shay put some good balls in,” he said.

“I got on the end of a few of them and just felt I needed to get my range.

“I stayed between the central defenders, they were good in the air.

“It was a good ball and it needed a little glance.

“So far this season the keeper has been saving them or they have hit the post.

“I am happy to score with a header.

“I think it does mean more when it’s the first goal, and then the winning goal.”

Clayton said Walsall made life difficult for Brentford and the wet conditions didn’t help but it meant it was a game that the players loved to win.

Clayton said teams would stop Brentford playing their football and they would have to find a different way to win games.

“Walsall made it difficult,” he said.

“They are a good side, it was a good result.

“It was a game where the conditions weren’t the best.

“We couldn’t really get that flowing football going.

“Walsall deserved respect.

“It is a game you love winning.

“It wasn’t the prettiest.

“We don’t normally win ugly games.

“To come out with a victory is pleasing for all of us.

“Teams will try to stop you playing and ask what else you have got.

“We showed today we can grind out a win.

“It was difficult but we got a result.”

Clayton said there was real competition for places and he felt that would help Brentford go better than last year when they finished third in League One and lost in the Play-Off Final.

He said Brentford’s start had been “OK” and The Bees had to stay in the upper echelons as the division developed over the next few weeks.

“The squad, especially the offensive players, would make every other manager jealous,” said Clayton.

“Everyone has to fight and work hard and prove themselves.

“I am no different.

“It drives the teams on and drives me on.

“It is good for the Club and it will hopefully take us further than we did last year.

“Two wins, two draws and being unbeaten is OK.

“I think we’d have been happy with that at the start of the season.

“If we can stay in the top six for the next few games we can see where we go from there.”

Clayton Donaldson’s full post-match interview is available here for Bees Player subscribers.