FRANK PRAYS IT ALL STATS UP TO BEES PROMOTION
On an emotional day for Leeds, Hernandez comes up with the perfect tribute as he dedicates his late winner to a club legend
DERBY
BRENTFORD 1 3
THOMAS FRANK is praying his Brentford “machines” can wrap up a statisticallydeserved promotion – and reckons their extraordinary goal difference will prove decisive.
The Bees are just three points behind secondplaced West Brom after two-goal Said Benrahma inspired them to this seventh straight win.
They have scored 78 times, more than any other side in the Championship, and their goal difference is considerably higher than the rest at plus 43.
By rights, Brentford should be home and dry already.
Yet they are not even in the automatic promotion spots.
But boss Frank (above with Benrahma) said: “Maybe that goal difference may prove to be the difference in the end to achieve the big dream.
“What I like with that goal difference, it shows that we are a very offensive side. We want to play a certain brand of football, it’s nice we can capitalise with goals.
“We’ve lost 11 games, eight of them 1-0. That’s crazy. I think we’ve actually been a bit unfortunate in terms of points.
“I’m doing everything I can to enjoy the moment and so are the boys.
“I said to the boys, ‘Go out and play, express yourself, enjoy it, you are playing in a team where everything is clicking’. It
Ref: Tim Robinson must be such a joy.” Ollie Watkins had the Bees one up after just three minutes at Derby after Bryan Mbeumo hit the post.
Jason Knight levelled for the Rams but Benrahma’s shot went straight through a red-faced Ben Hamer four minutes after the break.
The Algerian then scored a wonderful curler on 64 minutes to wrap up the points.
One of the key features about Brentford of late is how fresh they look – even when the going gets tough.
Frank said: “I think the staff and I have created running machines. Football is a running game.
“That fitness is massive. I like to praise my performance teams and medical teams because they did so much to push the players on their time off.
“But as coach I need to praise the players as they have just come back in unbelievable shape.” Derby’s play-off bid now hangs in the balance after a second straight loss to a side in the top three.
Captain Wayne Rooney insisted: “We can make it – of course we can. But we are relying on other teams and other results.
“We will keep fighting to get in that sixth spot but it will be a bit more difficult now.”
Hamer 4, Bogle 6, Evans 6, Clarke 6, Lowe 6, Bird 6 (Shinnie 81), Rooney 7, Knight 7 (Jozefzoon 80), Sibley 6 (Whittaker 80), Lawrence 6, Martin 6
Raya 7, Roerslev 7, Jansson 7, Pinnock 7, Henry 7 (Thompson 90), Marcondes 7, Norgaard 7 (Jensen 70, 6), Dasilva 7 (Zamburek 70, 6), Mbeumo 7 (Valencia 81), Watkins 7, Benrahma 7 (Fosu 81)