Smith praises Brentford after win over Forest

Brentford boss Dean Smith was full of praise for his players after they secured a second home victory in three days.

Striker Scott Hogan scored the only goal of the game as they beat Nottingham Forest at Griffin Park.

The Bees, who beat Ipswich on Saturday, were deserved winners again and were unlucky not to score a second when Lewis Macleod hit the bar.

“It’s nice to get two clean sheets and two home wins on the spin,” said Smith.

“You have to work very hard in this league – no team is going to lie down and give you the points.

“It was a sign of what we’re about that we had to show a lot of spirit and did that.”

Hogan made an emphatic return from a long lay-off last season, ending the campaign in excellent goalscoring form.

And he opened his account for this season with a close-range finish on 28 minutes.

Smith said: “Scott’s proven he’s robust since coming back from injury. He’s been working really hard for himself and the team.

“It’s nice for him to get off the mark because he thrives on goals and scoring is what he’s best at.

“It’s great for him to score, but knowing him the most important thing to him will be the win. He’s a big team player.”