Kevin O'Connor loved the fact he was given the captain's armband at Havant - but he'd rather secure a regular firstteam place than wrestle the responsibility from Adam Newton full time.

Brentford's longest-serving player lost the job when Terry Butcher took over from Leroy Rosenior as boss at the start of last season.

Now, under Andy Scott, O'Connor is no longer automatically in the starting XI these days, so regaining the role is far from his priority.

But he admitted to relishing leading the team out in front of the ITV cameras at Havant in last Sunday's televised FA Cup tie - Newton having been left on the bench because of a slight knock.

"I very much enjoyed the responsibility of captaincy, especially as it was on a day we got the result we needed," O'Connor told the Gazette.

"I'll always be glad to step in again if needed.

"If the manager gives me the job again, I'll take it, but I wouldn't say I'm desperate to get the job again.

"If it comes along, it'll be brilliant, but it's not at the forefront of my mind. The first thing for me is to try and get back in the team and keep my place.

"And the main thing was that we got through the game with a good win."

Brentford had a few hairy moments but deservedly avoided the potential bananaskin presented by last season's cup giant-killers.

Another one awaits in the next round now with the winners of the all-Conference replay between Barrow and Eastbourne earning the right to host the Bees at the end of the month.

O'Connor has experience of coming unstuck in such ties. The Bees were famously dumped out of the FA Cup by Telford in 2003 and it is not something he wants to go through again.

"Sunday was a no-win situation and I'd rather not have that kind of game. The conditions also made it quite hard, but I enjoyed the game.

"I've been on the receiving end of a cup upset before when we went to Telford and I'm not keen on repeating the experience.

"They had quite a few ex-professionals and were a good team, but it wasn't a nice feeling losing that one.

"That match was at the back of my mind on Sunday, but we've got a new team now and I didn't get too obsessed about it. Luckily we did the business.

"I can understand it if our game in the next round at Barrow or Eastbourne doesn't now attract the same media attention as Sunday's game, because

Havant were in the news last season and our tie was on TV.

"But in many respects it will be just as hard a game. It will be away from home again and with it being one step from the third round, there will be plenty of incentive for both sides.

"Hopefully the fact that we are quite a down to earth club helps us in games like that. We have a lot of experience of grounds like that.

"We play in them pre-season, plus a few of our lads had actually played at Havant before and knew what to expect.

"It was no surprise when we got there and we just got on with what we had to do."

O'Connor added: "Wedeserved our win, but we are still grateful for Ben Hamer's great double save towards the end which kept us in front just before we went up the other end and scored again.

"He should be very happy with his day's work.

"The win should give us a bit more confidence going into our next league game this weekend and that may help because we've lost the last two. We want to get back up the league again.

"We've watched the video of those defeats and had one or two things pointed out which we tried to rectify at Havant.

"We needed to look at our shape and certain things we weren't doing right in our defending. Hopefully we are starting to put that right and will continue that again at Port Vale this weekend."

Match Summary HAVANT (0) 1 BEES (1) 3 Line-up: Hamer; Halls, Phillips, Bennett, Dickson; Williams (Newton 70), O'Connor, Bean, Poole (Wood 86); Elder, MacDonald. Subs not used: Brown, Johnson, Pead, Ademola. Attendance: 1,631.

GOALS: Williams (42), MacDonald (66), Simpemba (73), Elder (83). MoM: Kevin O'Connor