Romayn Pennant believes that the way that Brentford have adapted to challenges this season shows there is a good future for the current Youth Team crop.
Currently leading the league by eight point the young Bees secured a highly creditable 1-1 draw away at Ryman Premier League side Hampton and Richmond Borough on Tuesday evening.
Jon De Souza’s side took an early lead through James Ferry’s curling effort but that was cancelled out by Frantz Tchongang just before the break.
Speaking to Bees Player after the match Romayn, who turns 17 next month, felt the Youth Team stood up to a new test and acquitted themselves well in difficult conditions.
“I think it was a good performance from the team,” said Romayn.
“It was a different challenge to what we are used to, coming up against bigger players and more physical players.
“Most of the players, if not all of us, rose to the challenge and accepted the challenge.
“To progress at any level you need to prove that you can rise to any challenge.
“We have a great group of players and everybody wanted to do well and that showed on the pitch.
“The game was definitely more about development because we could play teams like this every Tuesday or Wednesday and not get a great result.
“At the end of the day we are still young and we are learning in training every day.
“Playing in matches like this will hopefully help us to break into the first-team.
“Today the challenge was about coming up against physical players and so if some of us do break through into the first-team we are more used to it.
“Tonight showed that our style of passing football works.
“We like to implement what the first-team are doing.
“We might play our best and not beat teams and they might go direct and we might not be able to deal with their style of play.
“It is something we will learn from and continue to play our way of football.
“Adapting is a big part of football because one week you might be out training with Brentford’s first team then you might go out on loan and have to completely change how you play.
“Different teams will go direct and we have to deal with it.
“I think it is a good challenge and something we rose to today.”
Romayn played at left-back in the first-half of the match at the Beveree and had a tough job to contain the pace and power of Borough’s right winger, first-team regular, Jerome Federico.
However after a couple of early scares the 16-year-old got to grips with his opponent and produced an assured performance.
Romayn felt that the defence as a whole dealt well with The Beavers’ attacking threat and power and adapted well to the opposition they came up against.
“I learned about dealing with quicker players because first-half I had quite a quick winger to deal with,” said Romayn.
“For the first five or ten minutes I didn’t know what to do with him but then I realised that stopping him at source was the way to keep him at bay.
“I am quite pleased with my performance.
“I was quite tenacious and I tried to get forward as much as possible.
“It really tested my mental strength and how I was physically.
“I think the centre-backs dominated in the air slightly more than the full-backs because the ball went more centrally.
“They dealt with that quite well and we picked up on the second balls.
“We wanted to get the ball down on the floor and pass it as much as possible.
“It was difficult but again that comes back to the challenges and whether you can adapt to the pitch and implement your style of play no matter what the conditions.
“If we had to make changes to the way we play then we would and as a team we did it quite well.”
Romayn has made six appearances for the Youth Team in the first year of his two year scholarship this season.
The defender admits he had a slow start to life with the Youth Team through a mixture of fitness and form but said he feels he has made real strides in recent months and that is being reflected in his performances.
“I think I have progressed quite well because at the start of my scholarship I wasn’t breaking into the squad,” said Romayn.
“I found it difficult to find my feet with my fitness.
“With Jon De Souza coming in and showing a lot of faith in me as well as Anthony Hayes and Ose Aibangee it was good.
“Them showing faith in me meant that I started to show faith in myself and I feel I have been showing that on the pitch and in training.
“I think I have been playing quite solidly recently.
“This year is just about developing.
“It is about pushing us further because there is a great group of boys here with loads of potential.
“We are able to push ourselves further and, if we can, we will improve.
“It is about making the best out of the talent we have in the group.
“We are top of the our league and have won a lot of games.
“Matches like these as well show how well the team is doing and how much of a team spirit there is here.”