Brentford Manager Mark Warburton described his side’s 1-0 win over Rotherham United as a “very important three points”.
Stuart Dallas scored the only goal as Brentford bounced back from three straight defeats with a win yesterday.
The attacker smashed home after a Jota shot had been blocked to give Brentford the win.
Mark said his side weren’t at their best in the first half and Rotherham had chances to be ahead but they were better after the break.
David Button saved two one-on-ones in the first half, albeit from poor finishes, and then made a superb late save from a Paul Green header to keep Rotherham out.
Mark said conditions did not help his side but they showed character to get the win.
“It was a very important three points,” said the Brentford Manager.
“It was a windy day but the pitch was dry, the wind had dried it but it was a bit bobbly.
“In the first half we weren’t really at our normal level in terms of energy, tempo and moving the ball quickly.
“They had a couple of good chances and we could have been one down, although we missed chances ourselves.
“We were better in the second half.
“There was an improvement in energy and we scored the goal.
“We created a lot of chances in the second half and should have finished it off but it was important three points.”
Rotherham started the game with three attacking midfield players in support of striker Matt Derbyshire.
They left out Jonson Clarke-Harris and Jordan Bowery and Mark said that presented a different challenge to the one he was expecting.
He said he picked James Tarkowski and Harlee Dean in defence as they had dealt with Alex Revell – recently sold to Cardiff City – as Brentford won the reverse fixture and he thought Rotherham would play the same way.
“We were surprised by their team selection,” admitted Mark.
“Bowery and Clarke-Harris have played recently but didn’t today, they are strong, powerful and quick.
“Before we got the team sheet we expected a physical game so I went with Harlee and Tarky in defence.
“They played in the away game and dealt with Revell, we know Revell has gone but we thought Bowery and Clarke-Harris would offer the same threat.
“Alex Pritchard came in for Alan Judge and Stuart Dallas came in on the left.
“Stuart did an excellent job up there stopping their full backs coming out.
“We stopped that supply again today.”
Mark said his team could learn from the win but praised their second half performance.
He added midfield player Toumani Diagouraga deserved to be named Man of the Match.
“There are things to learn today,” said Mark.
“They stayed quite deep but their keeper launched a long ball.
“That meant there was a lot of space between the first challenge for the ball and our midfield, that posed us problems.
“Toumani was excellent; he deserved Man of the Match.
“We showed much better energy in the second half and created chances.”
Mark said the clean sheet was important and hailed the save Button made in the final moments to ensure Rotherham left with nothing.
“It was an excellent save,” he said.
“We should have been out of sight but could then have been 1-1 with a few minutes to go.
“David struggled a little bit in the first half with his distribution, the wind was much stronger than you realise.
“A clean sheet was very important for us and it was a good three points.”
Brentford had lost their previous three games – to Ipswich Town and Wolverhampton Wanderers in the league and to Brighton and Hove Albion in the FA Cup.
Mark said his team played better against Wolves and Brighton than they did against Rotherham but got their rewards this time.
“I have had lots of calls this week asking if the Brentford bubble has burst and whether we have peaked,” he said.
“The facts are that we played really well against Wolves and Brighton but didn’t get our rewards.
“We dominated those games.
“If you play badly and lose you can focus on it, although it would be a concern.
“We played better against Wolves and Brighton than we did today but we got three points today.
“In the first half we were against the wind and lacked a bit of energy.
“We have to keep moving the ball quickly and make them work hard to stop us.
”We can capitalise later in the game because we make teams work hard.
“There is no lack of belief, they have great character and they showed it today.”
Brentford were without Alan Judge, who has a knee injury that is not expected to keep him out for long, and new signing Lewis Macleod.
Mark said he was looking to add to his squad.
“We are looking to get the right players in,” he said.
“Alan Judge was injured today but Alan McCormack is coming back and Lewis Macleod is not far away.
“Alan took a whack last week and has some inflammation to the knee that is being treated now.
“Lewis has a slight hamstring problem that we are treating.
“The season is tough and demanding.
“We don’t need to push players back too early.”
Full post-match reaction from Mark Warburton is available here for Bees Player subscribers.