Mark Warburton said it was “very pleasing” that his side were able to record a Sky Bet Championship win against Reading while being below their best.
The Brentford boss, speaking after the match, said his side were good defensively but did not always keep the ball well enough in their 3-1 win.
The Bees were, however, clinical in attack.
Alex Pritchard had already hit the post before Jota scored the first 11 minutes in.
Although Reading had the better of posession and territory, Pritchard made it two just past the half hour.
Reading pulled a goal back after making changes at the break but Jonathan Douglas headed in a Pritchard corner to make it three and The Bees had chances for more late on.
“Reading were a very good side today and I don’t think we played as well as we have done at home,” said Mark.
“To come in at half time 2-0 up was very pleasing.
“Defensively, as a team, we stood up really strong.
“A lot of balls came in to the box; they went 4-4-2 in the second half and had some aerial threats.
“We were defensively tremendous as a team.
“What we did not do quite so well was look after the ball high up the field, which we should do and we can do.
“To be slightly below the level and get a result like that against a very good, well-organised Reading team is very pleasing.”
Reading started with three attacking midfield players behind striker Glenn Murray with two deeper men in the space Pritchard and Alan Judge like to play.
The visitors made two changes at the break but Mark said Brentford dealt with it.
“Their normal shape is 4-4-2 as we see it but when we got their team sheet we thought they had matched us up,” he explained.
“In the second half it was 4-4-2 and more direct and they looked to put balls in the box.
“We had to deal with that.
“They are very well organised with some high quality players.
“We dealt with it well.”
Brentford’s third goal was the first they had scored from a corner this season.
Mark hailed Douglas for rising highest to head in and also Brentford Assistant Manager David Weir, who had worked on improving the attacking threat from set pieces.
“Jonathan Douglas wanted the ball more,” he said.
“It was similar to a couple of other goals he has scored for us.
“We got the rewards for his endeavour.
“It was a fantastic goal.
“He marshals the midfield well but he knows when to go.
“It was from a corner as well.
“A lot of work has been done by David Weir, testament to him.
“The guys are listening, applying themselves and working hard.”
Mark made one change to the team which played well in defeat at Watford on Tuesday, restoring Pritchard to the team in place of Toumani Diagouraga.
Mark said Diagouraga was not the only one pushing for a place and unlucky to miss out.
“The decision on who to play was a tough call,” he said.
“People like Marcos Tébar, Jon Toral, Nick Proschwitz, Harlee Dean in defence are posing me problems in terms of team selection – they are hungry to play.
“They are training really well, I can’t talk highly enough of the way they apply themselves.
“Toumani does it as well.”
Brentford now have two weeks before their next match.
They play away to Wigan Athletic on Saturday October 18 with a break for international matches in between.
“It is a good thing,” said Mark.
“From my short time in the Championship, I can see the games are very intense.
“They come thick and fast between these breaks, playing Saturday-Tuesday-Saturday-Tuesday.
“We have long, gruelling trips and there are demands on the players on and off the pitch.
“We will organise the break again, have a second day of recovery on Monday, work hard on Tuesday and Wednesday and then have four days off.
“We are then back in for a normal week.”
Brentford sit tenth in the Championship table with 17 points.
Mark said if some decisions had gone their way – including disputed penalties awarded against Brentford and ones for The Bees turned down – they could be even higher.
“The table is starting to take shape,” he said.
“We are on 17 points.
“We have felt a bit hard done by on a few decisions and that we could have had three or four more points.
“If it does even itself up over the course of the season, we are in good shape.”
There was an attendance of more than 10,000 at Griffin Park for the match, the fourth league game in a row it had been the case.
“It is important for us to recognise that home and away our support has been outstanding,” said Mark.
“We know it is not cheap following a football team these days.
“We have to make sure we play the right football to entertain and even in bad times the players work hard.
“There can never be a lack of effort, 100 per cent effort should be the minimum.”
Full post-match reaction from Mark Warburton is available here for Bees Player subscribers.