Frank pleased as 'bang on' Bees ease past Bournemouth

Brentford 2 AFC Bournemouth 0

Thomas Frank offered yet more praise for Brentford, as they continue their rise up the Premier League table, following a workmanlike win over struggling Bournemouth.

The Bees earned victory at the Gtech Community Stadium, courtesy of goals by Ivan Toney, via the penalty spot in 39 minutes, with Mathias Jensen clinching matters with a fine strike with 15 minutes remaining, in a contest which was largely comfortable for the hosts.

Brentford are now in eighth spot and sit above Liverpool, who lost earlier at Brighton. European football is within the sights of the west Londoners, as their fans, in a crowd of 17,031, were quick to pronounce in the latter stages.

This may not have carried the same kudos as the memorable triumph over Jurgen Klopp’s Reds at the turn of the year, but it is another, equally significant, signpost for the second half of the season, as well as a statement of general team resilience since the FA Cup exit to West Ham United last weekend.

As a bonus for Bees’ fans, they are also four points above struggling Chelsea in the Premier League, which would not have been predicted at the beginning of the campaign. Carabao and FA Cup exits aside, Brentford are on track.

“I’m very pleased for the boys today, as I knew it would be a difficult game,” said Bees’ head coach Frank. “It wasn’t a defining game but I did say to them that we were playing a similar sized club, we needed to be bang on with their intensity. In general we defended well and a clean sheet Is very important.

“Ivan (Toney) is the best penalty taker in the world and to take it and score again, he was so cool. And Josh (Dasilva) was very important for us. He had a slow start after the World Cup break but today he carried the ball well and defended well too.”

Frank also gave another opportunity off the bench for Kevin Schade, the recent signing on loan from Freiburg. The 21 year old winger showed sufficient signs of impishness which has already pleased both the Brentford fans and Frank himself.

“I think it will take a little while for him to get consistency in his actions but you could see when he came on he gave the fans some excitement,” Frank noted after another satisfying evening in west London.