PORTUGUESE TURN BEES INTO JELLY...
HIS three Portuguese men-of-war might have out-stung the Bees – but Wolves boss Walter Zenga believes they have more tentacles to flex.
This victory was certainly made in Portugal as Joao Teixeira’s first two goals for his new club, both assisted by compatriot Helder Costa, put the Molineux men in command.
Sullay Kaikai’s first Brentford goal got the Bees back in it but another Portuguese – record signing Ivan Cavaleiro – delivered the fatal sting in stoppage time by opening his Wanderers account.
The win saw Wolves leapfrog Brentford and within touching distance of the top six – but Zenga is not getting carried away.
He said: “I don’t want to look at the table until December and then we will talk. I don’t know where we are now. Honest.
“But it is an important three points against a team that came off a good result and had been playing well for three or four games.We approached the game very well and the attitude of the team was fantastic.
“We have to continue in this way and don’t forget where we have come from and where we want to arrive.
“It is a long season and we don’t want to forget that if everyone pulls together we can arrive where we want to be.”
Wolves controlled a dire first half but the Bees had the best chance just six minutes in.
Lewis Macleod robbed Cameron Borthwick-Jackson and found in-form Scott Hogan 15 yards out, but his snapshot was turned around the post by Wolves stopper Carl Ikeme.
The second half was much better and the quality level ratcheted up just two minutes in as Wolves took the lead with a sublime counter-attack goal.
Costa dispossessed Josh McEachran and raced 50 yards before feeding Teixeira who dummied a defender and slid under Daniel Bentley.
Wolves doubled their lead on 57 minutes as Costa won a contentious free-kick out wide and Teixeira’s delivery missed every And one to nestle into Bentley’s far corner.
Brentford were back in it on 67 minutes as Kaikai’s strike beat Ikeme at his near post despite the keeper getting fingertips to it.
They had handball shouts ignored when a Romaine Sawyers cross struck a Wolves arm but the hosts held off Bees pressure valiantly.
Zenga’s men sealed the points with a stoppage-time break, ending with Cavaleiro slotting past Bentley.
It all left Bees boss Dean Smith a frustrated man as McEachran was stretchered off with a foot injury in the tackle that led to the opener and Ryan Woods will be suspended for Tuesday’s home clash with Reading after picking up a fifth booking of the season already.
Smith said: “We gave them two cheap goals. Well, the first one was cheap. Josh should probably have played it wide, ran into trouble and then we didn’t have the balance right behind.
“We’ve got to be better to prevent that but the second goal should have been our free-kick anyway, it certainly wasn’t a freekick for them.
“For me the game turns on two things – the decision to give them the free-kick that they scored from and then the decision to not give us a penalty at 2-1 for handball. Then Ryan was booked – for I don’t know what. He will be suspended but we have a strong enough squad to cope with that.”