FRANK FUMES AT MEPHAM RED KO
Anger at ‘harsh’ dismissal
NEW Brentford coach Thomas Frank and Bristol City’s Lee Johnson agreed that the “harsh” sending-off of Bees centre-back Chris Mepham decided the game.
The Welsh international saw red after the break for two soft yellow cards, and Johnson admitted his confrontation with Marlon Pack, who also saw yellow, was “little more than handbags”.
Frank insisted: “For the second booking there was only very slight contact but for the first he ran in to protect a team-mate who had been kicked three times on the ground. I mean, come on.”
Johnson added: “The ball got stuck and their lad came in to protect his player and Marlon reacts. It is fair to say that by the nature of the beast in today’s game Marlon deserves a yellow but, yes, it probably affected them more.
“That said, we used the numerical advantage when we had the extra man and found room down the sides and used it well.”
The sending-off put the hosts on the back foot and Niclas Eliasson secured City’s first win at Griffin Park since 2005 with a far-post smashand-grab volley a minute from time.
Substitute Jay Dasilva whipped in a cross to the far post and the onrushing Eliasson fired past the exposed Bees keeper Daniel Bentley.
It had started brightly for the Bees and Sergi Canos should have given them the lead after 10 minutes but bundled Henrik Dalsgaard’s low cross from the right just wide. Teenage keeper Max O’Leary was City’s saviour in the first half as Brentford dominated.
First the debutant denied Neal Maupay’s drive low to his right and then pulled off a reflex stop to fist an Ollie Watkins piledriver to safety after good work from Romaine Sawyers.
But, as the half wore on, Johnson’s side grew in confidence. Almost on half-time Brentford keeper Bentley was forced into a reflex stop of his own to deny Andreas WeiFORMER mann as he tried to steer Jack Hunt’s driven cross into the far corner. A minute later Matty Taylor’s headed goal was ruled out for offside as he strayed inches beyond Bees left-back Yoann Barbet.
After the break City saw a string of efforts fly high and wide from range before Watkins should have given the Londoners the lead after 70 minutes.
The big striker, a target for Tottenham, smashed an angled drive back off the far post in one of the home side’s few clear-cut chances throughout the 90 minutes.
Bentley had to be at his best in the hosts’ goal to tip Jamie Patterson’s instinctive effort wide and went one better minutes later to go full length to turn Liam Walsh’s blistering free-kick to safety.
Maupay forced a great save from O’Leary with 10 minutes left as Brentford pressed for a winner their lack of cutting edge and discipline barely deserved. In the end it was left to Eliasson to show the killer instinct Brentford lacked.