Brentford B’s Michael Olakigbe was ecstatic following his last-gasp goal which ensured the young Bees progressed through to the third round of the London Senior Cup on Tuesday evening.
Speaking on the victory, Olakigbe said: “It was a great win, we had to dig deep so I’m really happy we got the win and I was able to score the late winner which helped us go through to the next round."
Brentford showed great character to bounce back twice in the game against a strong team who are currently 20 points clear at the top of the Southern Counties East League Premier Division. Erith looked to frustrate Olakigbe and the rest of the Brentford team by using their physicality and taking advantage of the tough playing conditions.
The youngster continued: “Neil spoke to us before the game and said that we need to make sure we adapt no matter what the conditions are and to just keep fighting until the end. They were a very physical side, but we dug deep and fought to the end which led to us getting the win.”
Michael Olakigbe post Erith & belvedere
“Our games programme is quite different, sometimes we’ll play against teams like Chelsea and Arsenal but then we’ll also play teams like this (Erith) so I feel like we have learnt how to deal with different situations and how to adapt."
The winger’s deflected effort on 93 minutes from 20-yards sealed the win for Neil MacFarlane’s side as they continue their journey to retain the competition after last season's triumph.
Talking on grabbing the winner, Olakigbe explained: “I feel like we had so many chances during the game and eventually it was going to happen, and I was lucky enough to put it away in the last minute, but it was definitely coming.”
The youngster also says there is healthy competition within the squad for places in the starting 11, especially in the attacking areas and he believes everyone challenging for a spot will help the players develop further.
“There is (competition) but that’s what pushes us to keep working hard so none of us are able to get comfortable, it's good competition.