High five
FRANK’S BEES BUZZ AGAIN
Shots on target Shots off target Blocked shots Corners Fouls Offsides Yellow cards Red cards Passing success % Tackles Tackles won % Possession %
BRENTFORD answered Thomas Frank’s demand for a ruthless approach with an explosive five-goal show at Deepdale.
With four successive draws the boss was worried his Bees had lost their sting, wrecking any chance of automatic promotion and even prompting doubts over a play-off spot.
But they launched themselves out of the blocks with gusto and a sense of purpose to leave North End gasping in the slipstream.
They never let up and in the end it proved to be a goal-fest – the biggest away victory in the Championship this season.
“It was very important to put in a top performance,” said Frank. “We were able to create many chances and be very dangerous going forward. I think it’s all about us to perform well again next week to get a little bit of momentum.
“It’s not mind games but it’s now Watford to lose it (for second place). I mean that. They have done well. But we will do as well as we can.”
It took only nine minutes for Bryan Mbeumo to rediscover his scoring touch and help soothe any developing nerves.
The Frenchman, who struck 16 goals last season, had been restricted to just four before arriving in Lancashire.
But there was no hesitation when Mads Roerslev sent in an inviting low cross, Mbeumo rifling his first-time effort past Daniel Iversen for an overdue fifth of the campaign.
Criticised by their manager for a lack of a cutting edge in recent games, it was 2-0 after 25 minutes as they attacked with venom.
Again the adventurous wing-back Roerslev was the inspiration, intelligently finding Marcus Forss free inside the area.
His clinical finish was too good for exposed Iversen.
A triple substitution early in the second half showed that North End’s interim boss Frankie McAvoy had seen enough. He said: “Brentford showed their quality in the final third. We tried to get back into the game at 2-0 down and were too gung-ho. It backfired on us.”
The busy Bees weren’t finished as they ended the game as they had started it – with another goal flourish.
Tariqe Fosu skipped to the byline before chipping over for Ivan Toney to help himself to a
29th goal of the season with an easy header.
Substitute Sergi Canos made it 4-0 shortly after coming on as Toney turned provider for his
10th assist of the season. And another substitute, Emiliano Marcondes, rifled in from close range to make it a high five for Frank’s side.
PRESTON: Iversen 6; Lindsay 6 (Browne
(52nd) 6), Storey 6, Hughes 6; Van Den Berg
6, Whiteman 5 (Molumby 76th), Ledson 5, Barkhuizen 6; Potts 5 (Gordon (52nd) 6); Riis 5 (Sinclair (52nd) 6), Evans 6 (Bodin 76th)
BRENTFORD: Raya 6; Jansson 7, Norgaard
7, Pinnock 7; Roerslev 8 (Stevens 86th), Fosu
7 (Reid 78th), Jensen 7 (Marcondes 83rd), Mbeumo 7; Forss 7 (Canos 78th), Janelt 7 (Bidstrup 83rd), Toney 7
STAR MAN: Mads Roerslev
REF: T Harrington