Jon De Souza said Brentford were “comfortable from start to finish” in their Middlesex Charity Cup, which supports the charity Help for Heroes, Semi-Final win over Hanworth Villa.
The Bees have entered a Development Squad side in the competition and are now one game from winning it after beating Hanworth Villa 3-0 last night.
Myles Hippolyte put Brentford one up early on and Lewis Lavender and Luke Norris scored second half goals to seal the win.
The Bees took on the Combined Counties Premier Division side with a young team and a makeshift back four, including Youth Team midfield players Joe Maloney and Max Herbert in the centre of defence and had only two professionals – Luke Norris and Leon Redwood – in the starting XI.
But the young side rose to the challenge of an older opposition on a bumpy pitch and were well worth the win.
Jon, speaking to Bees Player after the match, said he told his players they had to relish the challenge and praised his team’s attitude.
“It was good,” said the Development Squad Manager.
“We were comfortable from start to finish.
“The players’ attitude was really good.
“It is a tough place to come when you play an older team and a team playing a different style from what we are used to.
“Credit to Hanworth Villa, they tried to play the game the right way and that suited us.
“I had a chat with the players at the start and told them I love football and all the top players love football.
“We had to come here and love it, enjoy it and want to do well.
“The attitude was really good and we played with quality.”
Brentford had numerous chances in the first 12 minutes before Myles Hippolyte raced on to a Michael Onovwigun pass to score.
They were largely untroubled in defence, although goalkeeper Joe Taylor did have to make a couple of fine saves, and sealed the game after the break.
Michael Onovwigun set up the second goal, converted by Lewis Lavender and Luke Norris danced through the defence to score the third.
“We started really well and we could have had three or four before we scored,” said Jon.
“When we went 1-0 up I thought we took our foot off the pedal a little.
“From start to finish we controlled the game.
“They caused us some problems from set pieces and Joe Taylor made some good saves.
“But we had two central midfield players playing at centre half, which they had never done before.
“They did very well.
“Their character was excellent; they just got on with it.
“They looked composed in there.
“We killed the game in the second half.
“Once we got the second goal the game was over.”
Brentford will play Uxbridge FC in the Middlesex Charity Cup, which supports the charity Help for Heroes, Final.
The game will be played at Uxbridge’s ground – Honeycroft, in Horton Road, West Drayton – and kick off at 7.30pm.
The competition started in the 1901/02 season and Brentford have never won it.
Jon said Brentford’s campaign in the Under-21 Professional Development League Two South had ended in a disappointing fashion – defeat against Colchester United on Tuesday left The Bees fourth in the table – and it was good to put it right.
“It would be nice to win a competition,” he said.
“I thought we should have finished third in the Under-21 league and we didn’t.
“We finished in a disappointing way in that.
“We want to bring some silverware back.
“We are turning up to develop and do well but we entered this competition to help the charity and to compete.
“We had to win today and we did it.
“We will go there to win.
“I would love for the supporters to come down and see it.
“A final is a final for me, wherever it is.”
A full video interview with Jon De Souza is available here for Bees Player subscribers.