Kevin O’Connor said he saw a lot of positives as Brentford progressed to the First Round proper of the Under-21 Premier League Cup after a 2-1 win away at local rivals Queens Park Rangers last night.
The Bees, who welcomed back Sam Saunders and Lewis Macleod from injury, took the lead just before the break when Josh Bohui found the bottom corner after being played in by Macleod.
Saunders and Macleod combined for The Bees second as the Scottish midfielder glanced home Saunders’ cross and despite a late Sebastian Polter strike, which set up a nervy final few minutes, Kevin felt that Brentford were worth the win and progression through to the next round.
“I thought it was a really good game tonight,” said Kevin, speaking to Bees Player after the match. “It was a proper cup tie especially for Under-21 level. I said to the lads after the game that it was a proper game of football and we were really pleased to get the win. As it was a cup game it had to be played at a stadium so that added a bit to the game and I was really pleased with the way that they played.
“It could have gone either way as both teams were having a good go at each other. We had plenty of opportunities but at the same time so did Queens Park Rangers. I am slightly biased and I think that we deserved to win but Rangers will probably think they deserved to win too.
“It was end to end in the closing stages and I was finding it hard to watch: I was trying to kick and header every ball. The boys were very young at the end and they worked extremely hard and got what they deserved in the end. They are young and they will learn from nights like tonight. There were a lot of good performances and there weren’t many negatives so I am happy with that.”
Brentford created by far the better chances in the first-half and could have been out of sight before Bohui did put them in front, cutting in from the left-wing before guiding his shot into the bottom corner.
It was a similar story in the second-half as The Bees created a number of opportunities to kill the game off but eventually had to thank goalkeeper Jack Bonham for securing the win, as he made a number of important late saves.
“We had three or four really good chances in the first-half and Josh Bohui took one of them with a tremendous goal,” said Kevin. “In the second-half we went 2-0 up and then had a couple of good chances after that so there was always the fear they could get back into it. They made it 2-1 and it was a little bit edgy but it was a good game.
“Jack Bonham is a top goalkeeper and he made some important saves for us tonight. He made a couple in the first-half from long-range and he did what he needed to do tonight. We should have won the last two but for conceding late goals so when we conceded the first one tonight it was a real test of character for the boys and they came through it.”
With no first-team match this weekend Kevin was able to welcome back Josh Clarke and Jermaine Udumaga, both of who have been involved in first-team action in recent weeks.
Kevin said he has been impressed with the way the two players have acquitted themselves stepping back into Under-21 football and thinks their presence is a real help to the group as a whole.
“Josh Clarke and Jermaine Uduamga were very good tonight and they bring the level up,” said Kevin. “Jermaine wasn’t playing in his natural position but he does a really good job for us up there and Josh gives us a lot of attacking options down the wing. They have a great attitude and they get on with the job in hand. They are both becoming leaders within the group. You can see that their confidence is high from training with the first-team and that helps us at Under-21 level.”
Bees Player subscribers can watch the full interview with Kevin below