We deserved to go through - Rosler

07 May 2013 06:47

Uwe Rosler saluted his Brentford players despite them putting him through more last-minute agony before eventually securing their place in the npower League One play-off final following a 5-4 win on penalties.

Just nine days after Marcello Trotta missed the stoppage-time penalty which would have sent the Bees into the Championship automatically, it was a case of deja-vu. This time Brentford were seconds from clinching a place in the play-off final when Swindon defender Aden Flint headed the equaliser - five minutes into added time for a 4-4 aggregate draw.

"Swindon took us to the wire," Rosler said. "But the way we played for 120 minutes, just 48 hours after the last match, was magnificent and we deserved to go through."

A rollercoaster match ended 3-3 and went to penalties but this time the story went in Brentford's favour - Miles Storey missing Swindon's fourth spot-kick.

That left Adam Forshaw to step up and score the winning penalty and send the Bees to Wembley, where they will face Yeovil a week on Sunday for a place in the Championship.

Rosler added: "After what had happened before, and to concede in the last second again, for them to come back psychologically... they never felt sorry for themselves and they never stopped.

"I am privileged to have a squad like this in my first job in English football."

Swindon were reduced to 10 men early in extra time when Nathan Byrne was shown a second yellow card for handball, and disappointed Robins manager Kevin MacDonald said: "The character of the team has been fantastic all the way through the season.

"You saw that today, but the sending-off turned the game.

"Miles showed a lot of character to step up there. I am proud of him, but someone had to miss."

Source: PA