Brentford underline promotion credentials with dominant win over QPR
Brentford 3 QPR 1
First half goals from Said Benrahma, Bryan Mbeumo and Ollie Watkins blew Rangers away as the Bees completed a fine double over their west London rivals.
“Two nil to the bus stop boys,” crowed home fans, mocking an earlier jibe from the away end. The song was out of date almost as soon as it had been aired.
Having got the better of Rangers 3-1 at Loftus Road earlier in October, Thomas Frank’s men were even more dominant this time, making it a miserable return to Griffin Park for former Bees boss Mark Warburton.
Without former Bee Yoann Barbet, the R’s looked shaky with a makeshift defence comprising two wing backs at full back and two midfielders in central defence – even if Gareth Hall has experience of the role. It always looked likely to be messy.
The Hoops, who had hit 11 in their two previous games, improved massively in the second half, seeing much more of the ball and pulling a goal back, but they left themselves with too much to do.
The Bees had the lead on 19 minutes through Benrahma with a quick-witted training ground routine - Mathias Jensen rolling a free-kick low across the area for the Algerian to convert at the far post, via a deflection.
And four minutes later, Rangers failed to deal with a ball lofted in from the left – Geoff Cameron unable to clear - and a simple toe poke from Mbeumo guided the ball past a stranded Joe Lumley.
Dasilva almost added to the gloom for Rangers with a menacing cross into the danger area and it needed Cameron’s despairing touch put the ball behind for a corner.
But more pain was not too far away for the Hoops and very soon an increasingly tortured Rangers defence crumbled again when a free-kick in from the left on 33 minutes was headed back across goal by Ethan Pinnock for Watkins to nod in from close range.
It was the striker’s 18th goal of an amazing campaign for both him and for this increasingly confident Bees unit, which is building momentum nicely in the race for promotion.
After the break, Benrahma rippled the side-netting from a free-kick and curled another on target, but Luke Amos and Bright Osayi-Samuel combined down the right on 63 minutes to set up Nahki Wells for a goal, to restore some respectability.
A good move almost paved the way for Ebere Eze to reduce the arrears still further but the Bees remained in control, without needing the devil they had shown during a blistering first half.
Watkins even had a couple of chances to rub salt into the Rangers wounds, heading onto the roof of the net and belting wide from an angle from close in.
Brentford: Raya – Dalsgaard, Jansson, Pinnock, Henry – Jense (Mokotjo 75), Norgaard, Dasilva (Marcondes 87) – Mbeumo (Valencia 81), Watkins, Benrahma. Subs not used: Daniels, Thompson, Jeanvier, Zamburek
QPR: Lumley – Kane, Hall, Cameron, Manning – Amos, Ball (Masterson h/t) – Osayi-Samuel, Chair (Shodipo 81), Eze – Wells (Hugill 72). Subs not used: Kelly, Wallace, Pugh, Scowen
