Brentford roared to a 5-2 victory against Blackburn
THOMAS Frank insisted Brentford’s demolition of in-form Blackburn came up short of being a top performance.
However, the head coach hailed his team’s body language, mental strength and willingness to learn that saw them come from two goals down inside eight minutes to shatter Rovers’ four-game winning run.
“When we went behind so early I looked at the players’ body language and they didn’t panic, and in the last 15 minutes of the first half we got more into the game,” he said.
“At half-time, all of us felt we could turn it around and that it was an opportunity to show how we’ve improved as a team.”
But he said it was far from the complete performance as his young side had “started flat”.
He said: “It was an untidy first half and, throughout the game, not a top performance like our last home game was, but they have learned the mental side of the game and didn’t let the early setback affect them.
“After half-time we controlled the game very well and defended well, but, even when we were ahead, we pushed on and that’s the mentality I want us to have.”
The visitors struck first when Bradley Dack swept home Adam Armstrong’s drilled cross at the near post, before Danny Graham rose unmarked in the box to loop Harrison Reed’s free-kick just inside the angle.
Said Benrahma started the Bees’ fightback, cutting in from the left to curl home into the far corner after a sweeping seven-man passing move.
Ollie Watkins then fired in a 25-yard screamer from a quickly-taken free-kick.
Rovers’ cause wasn’t helped when the fulcrum of their side, Dack, limped off.
Watkins made it 3-2 when he reacted quickest to Neal Maupay’s deflected drive to nod into the gaping net. Then a slick move ended with Maupay slamming home. Substitute Sergi Canos completed the rout in injury time when he raced on to a neat Maupay flick to draw the keeper and fire home from 15 yards. Angry Rovers boss Tony Mowbray slammed “ridiculous decisions” from referee Andy Davies.
Mowbray felt the Brentford equaliser from a free-kick was pivotal and insisted the referee should never have given it: “That changes the game to be honest,” he said.
“There were some ridiculous decisions, but I don’t want to blame the ref because, in the end, we lost the game against a very good football team.
“We knew had to prepare well for them, which we did. We got the early goals, went in ahead and at half-time we said it would be decided in a five-minute spell.
“We got way too stretched and gave away bad goals.
“Their third goal, where our keeper has lost it, changed the game.
“From looking good in possession, the game went away from us, we lost players and that makes it hard. There are not many sides who move the ball like Brentford do.”