Clayton Donaldson said the character of the Brentford team was clear to see after The Bees overcame Swindon Town to reach the npower League One Play-Off Final.
An Adam Rooney own goal put The Bees in front and Clayton scored twice as Brentford took a 2-0 lead before half time and then a 3-1 lead after the break but Swindon hit back and levelled it at 3-3 with a 95th minute goal.
The game went to penalties and Brentford scored all five while Simon Moore saved from Miles Storey.
Adam Forshaw fired the decisive penalty home to send The Bees to Wembley.
They will meet Yeovil Town on May 19 and the winners will earn a place in the npower Championship.
“It is a difficult game to describe,” said Clayton.
“We were so comfortable in the first half; we were two goals up and deserved it.
“We got a little sucker punch just before half time.
“We didn’t need that.
“We got a lift at the start of the second half with the third goal and thought we could hold on but we conceded again and they equalised in the 94th minute.
“It is normally the other way round for us.
“The character of the team was there to see.”
Clayton scored his first with a left foot shot from the edge of the area and raced clear to lift the second over Wes Foderingham for his second.
“Two strikers’ finishes,” Clayton told Bees Player after the match.
“The first was instinct, I let it run across me and hit it hard and low.
“I think it caught the keeper out a bit, I just tried to hit the target.
“The second I nicked the ball and as soon as I was racing on to it I knew what I was going to do.
“The keeper has gone down early and I dinked it over him.
“Thankfully it came off today.”
Clayton hailed Brentford Manager Uwe Rösler for choosing the men to step up and take penalties for The Bees in the shoot-out.
Sam Saunders, Paul Hayes, Harlee Dean, Tony Craig and Adam Forshaw all scored from 12 yards.
Clayton – who has missed two penalties this season out of a team total of six failures from 12 yards during the regular season – said he was number six in the list and said he was hoping Adam Forshaw would get it right.
He also praised goalkeeper Simon Moore for making the vital save from Swindon’s fourth kick.
“Our record on penalties hasn’t been the best but today’s success was all down to the Manager,” said Clayton.
“He picked the penalty takers.
“I was number six and was hoping Adam would score otherwise the pressure would be on me.
“The gaffer chose the order and he showed some guts.
“He showed leadership.
“We haven’t been the best on penalties this year but when it mattered we did it.
“I thought if we scored all ours we’d go through.
“Simon Moore is good at penalties.
“He is good at judging penalty takers.
“We kind of knew he’d save one.
“When the last penalty hit the back of the net it was a feeling that couldn’t be described.”
Clayton said he had never played at Wembley and was looking forward to having the chance but wanted to finish the job and achieve promotion.
“I have never played at Wembley,” he said.
“I went to watch Hull City beat Bristol City a few years ago.
“I was thinking then that it would be great to be on the pitch.
“Now it is my turn and hopefully we can go up to The Championship.
“We have to go out and win it.
“It was deserved that we won today and we’ll take a couple of days before we start preparing for Wembley.”
Clayton Donaldson’s full post-match interview can be seen here by Bees Player subscribers.