Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
TONEY AWARD
Best newcomer Ivan proves he’s up to the task of replacing £28m Ollie at Brentford
IVAN TONEY is having a jolly time replacing Ollie Watkins as Brentford’s hitman.
The 24-year-old was snapped up for £5million from Peterborough before Watkins’ expected £28m move to Premier League Aston Villa went through.
A second-half double here takes Toney’s tally to five goals in his last three Championship matches.
He has now scored 15 league goals in 2020 and only Liverpool superstar Mo Salah, with 16, has more in the top four leagues than the latest Bees hero.
The west London club have a track record of spotting strikers, with
Neal Maupay, Andre
Gray and Scott
Ho ga n a l s o having made a
splash and secured big moves. Toney said: “The goals are starting to fly in. No pressure on me then – being brought in to replace Ollie Watkins, a man who got 25 goals last season!
“Ollie and strikers before him here scored a lot for Brentford so it shows this club produces and develops great strikers and the team always create lots of chances.
“There is a lot of quality here and I know if I get in the right areas, they will find me.
“It is my job to score goals. At the start of the season I had opportunities against Birmingham and
Huddersfield and I fluffed my lines. It did get in my mind a bit.
“But as a striker that happens and it is about how you bounce back and in the last three games it has come together. I knew I was getting into the areas and getting the chances.
“It is always tough moving environment and
the first few games I w a s finding my feet with the boys.
But that has happened now and it is clicking.
“I am used to the role of playing up front on my own, it is physical and you get knocks, I get beaten up all over the pitch. But what hurts them more is putting the ball in the net.
“At the moment I feel every time I go on the pitch I am going to score, that is exciting.”
The setbacks for Thomas Frank were seeing Toney and Emiliano Marcondes come 1 of f injured . But the manager insisted the striker’s shoulder problem was of minor concern. After two tough defeats to promotion cont enders, Mark Robins and promoted League One champions Coventry f a c e another test against Swansea tomorrow.
Robins said: “We’re playing against teams that are i n a totally dif ferent category but we have to compete with them.
“We have to be in the right frame of mind, on the front foot with a positive mindset and play like we did i n th e l ast third against Brentford.”
Marosi 8, Pask 5 (Mccallum 60, 6), Rose 6, Mcfadzean 6, Hyam 6, Giles 5, Allen 5, Sheaf 5, O’hare 5, Bakayoko 6 (Shipley 60, 6), Godden 6