Tommy Smith described Brentford’s 3-1 defeat to Bolton Wanderers as “frustrating”.
The Bees lost at the Macron Stadium yesterday afternoon, conceding three second half goals.
The home side scored their first just past the hour when Neil Danns smashed in from distance and Mark Davies weaved his way through the Brentford defence to make it two.
Tommy came off the substitute’s bench between the goals and set up Jon Toral to reduce the arrears with seven minutes remaining.
Brentford pressed but could not find a leveller and left Lancashire with nothing after Craig Davies scored a third for the hosts in the dying seconds.
Tommy said Brentford were not at their best first half but started the second well and a poor spell cost them.
“It was frustrating,” he said.
“We were not our normal selves in the first half, they were the better team and we were the happier coming in at 0-0.
“We started the second half a lot better but they broke the deadlock and for ten to 15 minutes we dropped our heads.
“They got a second in that time.
“We had a good end to the game.
“We got the goal and put them under pressure.
“I felt we would get an equaliser but they got the third at the death which is by-the-by really.
“It was a bit late then.”
Bolton started the day in the relegation zone but Tommy said all games in the Sky Bet Championship were tough and all teams had players that could hurt the opposition.
“Bolton are near the bottom but that shows the strength of the league,” said the attacker, speaking on the way back from the game.
“They have players on the pitch that can hurt teams.
“Any away game at this level will be tough.
“They can punish us and did today.
“We have to go away and be tough to beat and build on that.”
Tommy said he felt Brentford would get something after they pulled a goal back.
“I think you could see the momentum shift on the pitch,” he said.
“We were comfortable, passing and moving, dominating posession.
“We were doing all the things we should have been doing from the start.
“We needed the breakthrough for the second.
“We had a couple of half chances but they nicked the third when we pushed forward.”
Tommy played for The Bees for the first time since the end of August.
He has been out with a hamstring problem that had taken longer to heal than hoped but said it was good to be back.
“I feel good,” said Tommy.
“It was good to get on and get 25 to 30 minutes under my belt.
“It has been a bit frustrating in the last five or six weeks.
“It was good to be involved.
“I had a hamstring strain.
“It was going to be two or three weeks but ended being longer.
“We have been a bit cautious coming back, because or re-injury.
“It was great to be back.”
Tommy made his match comeback when playing for Brentford’s Development Squad against Birmingham City on Monday; he also scored the equalising goal in a 1-1 draw.
He hailed Brentford’s medical staff for their work getting him back and avoiding a relapse.
“I always want to train,” he said.
“The physiotherapy staff have been great and they have been making sure everything is in place.
“They have made sure I don’t go back too early and get another injury.
“It has been a cautious approach.
“It was all a process; I played an hour on Monday with a view to being involved today and trained for a week before that.”
Tommy said there were always lessons that could be learned.
“You can always take a lot from the game,” he said.
“It is early to break everything down but we will review it.
“Firstly we don’t want to concede three goals and we also need to look at the start of both halves.
“They could have scored after 30 seconds today.
“A lot of this is new to us, we need to pick things up and build on it.
“Sometimes it is good to have a game on a Tuesday after a loss.
“But we have a week and we can work on things to improve as well as the things we do well.
“We have that opportunity now.”
A full video interview with Tommy Smith is available here for Bees Player subscribers.