Dean Smith knows Brentford face crunch few weeks in play-off chase

Dean Smith knows that Brentford face a crunch few weeks if they are to enter the final weeks of the season in a play-off race.

The Bees are eight points adrift of the top six after back to back defeats and the task now will be to replicate the run of form from Christmas and at the start of January where they won five out of six games.

And Smith knows that it is vital to return to winning ways when Brentford host Preston at Griffin Park on Saturday.

He said: “That's the important thing. We lost our unbeaten run against Norwich. It was a quality strike that cost us.

“Unfortunately, we didn't take our chances. The stats backed us up but the scoreline is what matters. I thought it was two evenly match teams against Derby and the sending off changed the game.

Smith added: “From a management point of view, if you haven't played well you know you've got to lift the players.

“We haven't not played well in the last two games. We've not been at our peak but we've done enough to win games in both games.

“I was pleased with how we played with 10 men. To do that against a team that's lost two or three in the last 20 games.”

The mood at a club can change quickly as 3,000 Brentford fans were singing about promotion at Reading whereas it was all doom and gloom after the loss at Derby. For Smith, the priority is the next game.

He added: “Two weeks ago, everyone was singing about going up. As a team, it's only the next game that's important.

“Two defeats is a setback but it's not a failure in anyway. We'll get back on the horse as you say and we have a tough game against Preston.”

Preston have been on a good run themselves with Alex Neil rebounding after a difficult spell at Norwich last season and Smith paid tribute to the Lilywhites.

He explained: “They've got an unbelievable belief in their team. Alex Neil did a fantastic job there, stepping in for Simon Grayson.

“They just lost (Jordan) Hugill to West Ham but it doesn't seem to have changed them. They have energetic players hungry to win football games.

“They've got good footballers all over the pitch. We've got to be at our best. We had a good game against them at Deepdale and came out the winners.

“At times it was tooing and froing. It'll be a tough game but it's one we have to win if we want to start climbing the league again.”

April has often been a good month for the Bees in Smith's reign but it's the results picked up in February and March that determine how crucial April's points are.

He said: “I spoke to the players a couple of weeks ago that we've had good Aprils. These are the important times – February and March as they will keep you amongst it.

“It's important that we're amongst it. Come April, with the way we play the rest will take care of itself.”