Youth Team manager Jon De Souza thought Brentford out-played and out-battled Charlton Athletic to win and remain top of the Under-18 Professional Development League Two South after Saturday morning’s match.
James Ferry’s first-half double sent Brentford into the break in control and they never really looked like surrendering that lead despite Joshua Umerah’s 80th minute goal for The Addicks.
The results maintained Brentford’s three point lead at the top of the table but it also opened up a seven point gap over The Addicks who sit in third place despite the defeat.
Speaking to Bees Player after the match Jon De Souza said he was pleased with the way his side had shown both sides of their game in the win.
The Youth Team Manager felt his side out-played Charlton in the first-half and when they had to battle in the second-half they were able to do that too.
“I am pleased overall,” said Jon.
“I think both halves were slightly different.
“I was really pleased with the quality we showed going forward in the first-half.
“I thought some of our attacking play was very bright and very quick and quite exciting.
“The first five minutes Charlton started very well and stopped us from getting on the ball, making passes and working the ball up the field.
“As it went on I think our players got a little bit more confident, trusted themselves a little bit more and got better.
“Second-half I thought our desire to see out the game was very good.
“I think Charlton Athletic tried to turn the whole game into a battle but our quality shone through a little bit more in the first-half.
“Second-half I think they imposed their style on us and stopped us from playing and we found it hard to get out of our half with quality.
“However the odd occasion we did get out we should have scored.
“Overall it was a battle and second-half our players showed great desire and character to come out with the three points.”
After Saturday’s matches The Bees have the best defensive record in the League Two South, having conceded just 17 goals in their 14 games.
Jon was pleased with the whole defensive effort of his side and their desire to get bodies in the way and not concede.
With Charlton pressing forward late on he felt the defender’s jobs could have been made easier if his side could have found the third goal.
Jon’s side had a number of presentable chances to put the game to bed and grab a third goal but they were unable to take them and Jon thought that put extra pressure on his defenders.
“I thought Audrius Laucys was brilliant today,” said Jon.
“He defended with quality but he defended with his heart as well which was important.
“He wasn’t the only one: I thought Tom Field did well, I thought Cameron Greaves did well as an Under-16.
“Second-half they really stood up and tried to prevent them scoring with every effort.
“We say to the players that desire, will to win, motivation and mentality can’t really be worked on every day.
“It is something that has to be built in from within and the players have shown that again.
“We had the Seika Jatta chance and the Zain Westbrooke chance where I said we had to come away with a goal.
“I said to the players that you have to reward your defenders because they defended with their lives today.
“We could have given them a little bit of a breather which we didn’t do unfortunately but that is football.
“We tried to get the third goal to kill the game off.
“It is something that the manager and the owner want and it is something that we try to implement.”
While winning games of football at Youth Team level is never a bad thing Jon believes it is important to remember the long-term aim which is to produce future first-team players.
In that respect Jon was very pleased with what we saw on Saturday as he felt not only were The Bees better as a team but they were also better as individuals as well.
“I thought we had the best players on the pitch personally,” said Jon.
“I thought we had two or three who were the best players on the pitch.
“Some of the quality that Bradley Clayton showed was excellent.
“If you looked at them then I wouldn’t say that there were many players who I would be desperate to bring in on that showing.”
Ahead of the Christmas period The Bees face two stiff tests in three days this weekend as they travel to Swansea City for a league fixture and then visit Hull City on Tuesday for an FA Youth Cup Third Round tie.
Off the back of wins over Ipswich Town and Charlton Athletic Jon is pleased with the form that his side go into these two games in but admits he may have to juggle his squad to cope with the demands of two long trips in three days.
“Ipswich Town and Charlton Athletic were two different tests and the players have done well against the two tests,” said Jon.
“We need to get back to the training pitch to get better and improve further.
“The Swansea game will be a possession based game.
“Today I didn’t think possession would be a real gauge of who was the better team but next week will be one of those where you have to get the football and keep hold of the football if you are going to do well in the game.
“There are one or two players we might give less minutes to as the FA Youth Cup is important but what is more important is that they get careers in the game.
“Swansea will be treated the same as any other Saturday game and then we go into Hull City.
You can watch the full interview with Jon