Hands make light work of Bees
players have responded well. We’re not getting carried away. You can see the nature of the league and the competitiveness of it.”
It was Stoke’s pair of thirtysomethings who engineered the climb to join the promotion candidates.
Steven Fletcher and James McClean have been around the block a few times, but neither are showing any signs that they’re past their sell-by date.
Old warhorse Fletcher, 33, again proved that age hasn’t dulled his instinct for goals with a confidently taken 10th-minute header.
McClean, 31, created danger with a surging run to the edge of the Brentford area and found
Tyrese Campbell whose cross was met by Fletcher lurking with intent at the far post.
Brentford went further behind as they once again switched off at the back.
McClean was afforded far too much time following a short pass from Campbell and from an acute angle he drilled past David Raya assisted by a deflection off Charlie Goode.
But it wasn’t all about the golden oldies as 20-year-old Campbell, son of former Arsenal and Everton striker
STOKE CITY: Davies 6, Collins 7, Souttar 7, Chester 7, Smith 7, Thompson 7, Mikel 7, McClean 8, Brown 7 (Oakley-Boothe 87), Fletcher 7 (Vokes 81), Campbell 8 (Tymon 72, 6).
Gunn, Batth, Gregory, Powell.
BRENTFORD: Raya 6, Goode 5, Pinnock 5, Sorensen 5 (Jensen 46, 6), Dalsgaard 5, Janelt 6 (Forss 63, 7), Dasilva 7, Henry 6, Ghoddos 5 (Mbeumo 46, 6), Canos 7, Toney 5.
Unused subs: Daniels, Thompson, Fosu, Hammar.
MAN OF THE MATCH: Tyrese Campbell. Looking a real prospect. Has the potential to follow father Kevin into the big time.
REFEREE: Keith Stroud 8.
Kevin, made it 3-0 in the 59th minute, teasing a group of Bees defenders before firing low past Raya.
Brentford did wake up, with substitute Marcus Forss causing some late anxiety.
He struck with a fierce finish from a reverse pass from Ivan Toney and repeated the trick in added time after Josh Tymon’s poor backpass.
But Stoke had history on their side and extended their unbeaten home sequence against the Bees to 14 games.