HOTSHOT WATKINS RISES TO THE CHALLENGE
Hat-trick of headers seals win as Bees fans hail new hero
MANY Brentford fans feared their attacking sharpness would be blunted when Neal Maupay joined Brighton for £16million in the summer.
And a meagre return of just five goals in their opening eight Championship fixtures suggested a season of struggle following the departure of a striker who scored 28 times last season. But hotshot Ollie Watkins is proving week after week that life after Maupay might not be so bad after all.
His hat-trick of headers defeated a Barnsley side who already look destined to spend the season fighting an immediate relegation back to League One. This treble took league top scorer Watkins to seven goals for the season. Considering Brentford have only scored eight league goals so far, Watkins’ ratio is a mightily impressive 87.5 per cent of them.
And while Brentford boss Thomas Frank won’t want to rely on one player all season, there was enough in this performance — especially from the eye-catching Sergi Canos and Said Benrahma — to use as building blocks for the months ahead.
But it’s a far drearier picture for Barnsley, who made the perfect start thanks to Cauley Woodrow’s stunner after just 59 seconds.
Goals, or the lack of them, are the primary problem for the South Yorkshire side — Woodrow’s was only their fifth of the season, the lowest tally in the Championship — but their defence was also lacking here.
It said everything about their troubles at the back when Watkins mentioned afterwards that ‘I don’t think I’ve scored three headers in a season, let alone one game’.
Frank was understandably delighted: ‘He was in the right position today when we needed him. I think the way he has converted himself into a No 9 from a No 10 has been impressive.
‘Of his seven goals, six have been tapins or headers inside the six-yard box… like all the best strikers.’
Given both teams’ aversion to scoring goals it was ironic we had one inside the first minute.
From Barnsley’s first attack, captain Alex Mowatt attempted a pass out wide that ricocheted off Henrik Dalsgaard and into the path of Woodrow some 30 yards from goal.
The former Fulham striker spotted that Brentford keeper David Raya was off his line and using defender Julian Jeanvier as a shield, took a touch and curled an unstoppable shot into the far corner.
Brentford belatedly remembered how to attack in the closing minutes of the first half and duly equalised.
Benrahma found Mathias Jensen in space down the right and he delivered an inch-perfect cross that Watkins converted with a diving header from six yards out.
And he really should have scored again before half-time, denied by an extraordinary bit of bad fortune.
Having raced clear of two Barnsley defenders, he saw his first effort come back off the post and then his fierce follow- up rattle the crossbar. Benrahma looked certain to score the rebound but missed.
Not that Watkins had to wait too long after half-time to atone. Canos raced down the right and swung in a cross that Barnsley keeper Brad Collins completely misjudged, the ball flying over his head for the ever-opportunistic Watkins to nod home at the back post.
And moments after Canos wastefully fired into the side- netting when Watkins was unmarked in the middle, Brentford sealed victory with their third.
Canos didn’t make the same mistake twice, crossing for Watkins who stooped to complete his hat-trick despite a strong Collins hand.
Barnsley boss Daniel Stendel said: ‘It is hard to accept the performance today. It was hard to see, for the supporters, for us and for the players on the pitch.’