MATCH FACT MARC OF A WINNER Emiliano scores one & makes one for buzzing Bees
SAID BENRAHMA and Emiliano Marcondes stepped up for Brentford – after they saw Bryan Mbeumo fail a coronavirus test.
Dramatic late goals clinched a vital victory for the Bees in a huge derby promotion clash against local rivals Fulham.
It was a vital test for Brentford, still on course for automatic promotion.
And they passed it without Mbeumo, who was found to be positive in the last-but-one round of tests – with boss Thomas Frank keeping quiet about his result to throw Fulham off the scent.
The appearance of Marcondes off the bench after 70 minutes was decisive. He set up in-demand Benrahma on 88 minutes, and fired home the second in stoppage time.
The home defeat for Fulham, who have not beaten Brentford at Craven Cottage for 30 years, was a huge setback to their own hopes of finishing in the top two. And in the end, the blow of missing one
of their famous and feared BMW strike force was all forgotten by the visitors.
Frank said: “There was a confirmed positive test of coronavirus for Bryan Mbeumo. The only reason we didn’t want to tell everyone is that most people would have expected him to start today if he was negative.
“He doesn’t have symptoms and is fit and well, it’s just that he has to isolate himself to keep everything as it should be and a safe environment.
“Our training place is the safest place to be – for the next test everyone was negative – but that’s just the way it is.
“We have to take it in steps. It is a great win, we recover, then focus on West Brom next week.
“We know this was a local derby and how important it is to the fans, whether they are there in the stadium or not.
“I have said to the players that throughout this period we will need everybody.
“And to Emiliano, I spoke to him personally on Thursday and told him he would have a big role.
“If he plays like that when he comes on, he makes a case for 90 minutes.
“Said Benrahma is also an extremely important player for our team, and we know if we want to have a chance to
FULHAM
BRENTFORD achieve our dreams, he and our other top players have to perform how they can.”
It was a nightmare afternoon for Fulham, who came within a
couple of inches of
■ Emiliano Marcondes came off the bench to score and assist Brentford’s two goals – after failing to do so in any of his first 40 Championship games. taking the lead after 16 minutes. Harrison Reed fed Bobby Decordova-reid, and his shot beat David Raya only to smash against the bar.
The Whites sharpened up after the interval when Championship top scorer Aleksandar Mitrovic saw one effort ruled out for offside.
Raya then pulled off a pointblank save from Mitrovic’s header to deny him a 24th goal of the season. Fulham manager Scott Parker said: “It is bitterly disappointing we have not managed to get a result. The game ebbed and flowed. We had a good spell in the second half and needed to score then.
“We suffered a killer blow and then a sucker punch, so overall I am disappointed – but pleased with the application and effort of my players.
“The empty stadium is a bit strange. We maybe expected Mbeumo to play –but it didn’t affect us, we have also had our own players in isolation.”
FOR 87 minutes it looked as though Nathan Jones had reason to be grateful his reunion with angry Luton fans has been put on hold.
The new Hatters boss is desperate to build bridges with supporters who were left fuming at his abrupt departure from Kenilworth Road for Stoke last January.
It seemed as though Scott Sinclair’s 52ndminute strike meant Jones’ return would end in misery.
Then with three minutes remaining, Luton substitute Callum Mcmanaman struck to ensure Town avoided defeat.
But it wasn’t enough to prevent them dropping to the foot of the Championship table – and the chances of them closing a five-point gap to safety look remote.
Jones could at least be pleased that his side had shown the character to come back after appearing to be out on their feet.
Jones said: “We finished strongly at the end and that was what I was really pleased with. It was a
LUTON