Brentford Manager Uwe Rösler said his team should have won their FA Cup with Budweiser Second Round Replay against Bradford City without the need for extra time.
The Bees beat their Yorkshire visitors 4-2 after an additional 30 minutes at Griffin Park last night.
Brentford trailed twice but Marcello Trotta bagged a brace and Clayton Donaldson and Harry Forrester came off the substitute’s bench to seal the win.
Uwe said his team did well but made a mistake in the first half that cost them a goal and had to chase the game.
He said they created enough to have won the match in 90 minutes but did not take enough of them.
“I was pleased with the way we started the game, we had an enormous amount of chances,” said Uwe, speaking after the match.
“Normally I would not say anything about missing chances.
“I was a striker and I know how hard it is to score a goal.
“We should have done better with the chances we created, throughout the 90 minutes especially.
“In the first half it went very well.
“We made one big mistake in defence and it cost us.
“We had to chase the game.
“The main issue in the first half was not taking chances.
“I would have liked to have seen more desire to get a goal, like we showed in extra time.
“There was more willpower to score.”
Brentford fell behind in the first half but Marcello Trotta equalised from the penalty spot.
They then conceded again early in extra time to a penalty and looked to be heading out.
But Marcello Trotta scored again and Clayton Donaldson put Brentford in front before Harry Forrester sealed it.
“When they scored the second goal I felt it would be difficult for us,” said Uwe.
“We have quality in our team and even when we are not at our best we can score goals.
“That is what happened.
“All credit to Bradford, they made it difficult.
“We should have put the game to bed in the first 30 minutes.
“We made it more difficult than it should have been but never mind, we kept our run going.
With the game at 1-1 in the second half, Uwe brought on Harry Forrester and Clayton Donaldson – his two top scorers – as well as Toumani Diagouraga.
Those changes ultimately made the difference.
“The substitutes started slowly when they came on, I was hoping they would be more energetic from the beginning,” said Uwe.
“I wanted more of an impact straight away but the longer the game went on, they turned it on.
“They scored the goals and we got a round further.”
The Yorkshire side were only playing the match after winning an appeal against their expulsion from the competition.
They had played an ineligible player in the first game – a 1-1 draw in Yorkshire – but won the right to play the second tie after the FA decided the punishment was too harsh.
Uwe said the decision to reinstate Bradford, putting the game back on at six days’ notice, was a punishment to Brentford.
“I respect the FA,” he said.
“It is a fantastic organisation with a long history and good people work there.
“The FA put us in a difficult situation.
“We overcame it but we did not like it.
“We felt we were the club that was punished by people who did not make careful decisions.
“I would have had no problem if Bradford stayed in.
“But to throw them out, reinstate them and only fine them £1,000 makes no sense.
“We had to play 120 minutes of a game that neither team wanted to play.
“They are chasing promotion, we are chasing promotion and the last thing we wanted was 120 minutes.
“But we had a good outcome, it was important to keep our run going.”
The Bees will now play Southend United in the Third Round, the tie to be played on the weekend of January 5 and 6.
Brentford were beaten by the npower League Two side in a Johnstone’s Paint Trophy Southern Section Quarter Final tie earlier this month and Uwe said it would be a difficult contest.
“Southend will be very difficult,” said Uwe.
“We saw them in the JPT; we know what they are about.
“It will be a difficult tie for us.
“We will have a different team out but the difference between the divisions is not that big, especially in the FA Cup.
“Everybody wants to stay in it to measure themselves against the famous clubs and also for financial reasons.”
A full video interview with Uwe Rösler is available here for Bees Player subscribers.