Sweet 16 as Bees extend great run
FOSU SENDS HIS SIDE ABOVE CHERRIES
BRENTFORD made it 16 games without defeat as super- sub Tariqe Fosu nudged them ahead of Bournemouth in the promotion race.
Ghanaian winger Fosu, 25, notched only his second goal for the Bees since joining from Oxford last January.
And it rounded off an excellent 2020 for the club who, though they lost in last season’s play- offs final, have moved into their plush new stadium and are now right in the fight for promotion again.
Bournemouth started well, Dominic Solanke giving them an early lead, but manager Jason Tindall was alarmed at the way his side failed to capitalise.
Delighted Bees manager Thomas Frank said: “I’m so pleased for Tariqe. He deserves so much praise for always being ready to step up.
“He was in the box thinking like a striker – and that was the difference. I was standing there in the first 15 minutes when Bournemouth were amazing, thinking, ‘ What the heck are they doing?’” The Cherries, unbeaten in five games before last night, were almost ahead in the first 40 seconds, when Jefferson Lerma sent Solanke racing through the middle.
His shot was only half stopped by goalkeeper David Raya but Pontus Jansson got back brilliantly to clear off the line.
Tindall’s team totally dominated the early stages, and Raya had to dive at Solanke’s feet to prevent another disaster.
Sergi Canos shot wide as the Bees tried to hit back, and Mathias Jensen’s free kick had to be pushed round the post by Asmir Begovic – but Solanke was not to be denied.
Lloyd Kelly’s low cross caught the Brentford defence napping and in nipped Solanke to flick home his seventh goal in his last 10 games. But Brentford woke up, as Bryan Mbeumo tested Begovic again with a shot that the Cherries keeper tipped wide.
From Jensen’s corner though, Bournemouth’s defence went AWOL, as Henrik Dalsgaard powered home his header.
Jensen then shot just wide from the edge of the area and, though David Brooks did have a shot saved by Raya, the Bees finally got the goal their determination deserved.
Mbeumo beat his man on the right, and his cross found Fosu, coming off the bench for the 10th time this season, on the far post to nod home.
Tindall said: “That was really disappointing. We should have been way ahead before they even scored. But they took their chances and we didn’t. I just hope it is a blip.”