Gray delighted with win at Brentford

Last updated : 20 February 2007 By Dave Foster
Stuart Gray

"It was a fantastic performance," he said

"Overall I thought we thoroughly deserved the three points and we will really enjoy the win.

"The players attitude was fantastic and the only slightly disappointing thing was that we didn't go in at half time two or three goals up.

"We created some really good chances in the first half, their keeper made some great saves and in the end it took a wonder goal from Jason Crowe to put us in the lead.

"I think we dominated the first half but I said to the boys at half time that there would be a period in the game where we would have to dig in. Full credit to the players for weathering everything Brentford threw at us in the second half and it was pleasing to come away with a clean sheet.

"We have been playing well in the last few games, our ball retention has been good but we haven't converted enough of the chances that we've been creating.

"I've been encouraging the players to take responsibility and Jason Crowe did that to score a fantastic goal. It was a great strike and I'm sure Jason knew that as soon as the ball left his foot that it had a great chance of going in.

"Brentford came at us in the second half but all credit to the players, we defended our box well and Mark Bunn pulled off a couple of good saves."


Scott Fitzgerald

"Why weren't we at the races? Sometimes you don't start a game well and it's really hard to get back into it. The start of the game is vital and sets you up for the rest of the game. I felt we didn't start the game at all well and were second best all over.

It could be [that they were suffering from fatigue]. It could be a lot of things, even the TV cameras. I'm not too sure.

We changed it around at half time and matched them up and played the same system. We were giving them far too much space. Thought we got about them a lot better in the second half and played similar to how we have done in the last few weeks. I felt we huffed and puffed but didn't do enough to score.

Playing Saturday and today could have been a factor I suppose. But they scored first and had something to hold onto. In all the other recent games we've scored first and had something to hold onto.

There was no way we were going to go unbeaten to the end of the season, so that run has finished and it's time to go on another one.

I feel in the second half it was how I want to play, get forward and get in peoples' faces. We didn't do that in the first half.

Yes, they were first to the ball. That's what disappointed me most at half time. That's what we've been doing recently but I felt they won most tackles and most balls and dominated a bit in the first half."