Boss Smith hails ‘young, hungry’ Brentford

Brentford boss Dean Smith believes his young side are starting to come of age in the Championship.

The Bees have one of the youngest squads in the division, with Chris Mepham, Ezri Konsa, Neal Maupay and Ollie Watkins all in their early twenties.

Maupay, from the penalty spot, and Watkins both found the net in a comfortable 2-0 win over Sheffield Wednesday.

Smith said: “We have young, hungry lads in this squad who have all had a season at this level and are all the better for it. They are all pushing each other on.

“They went to Stoke last week and were disappointed to come away with a point and that gives us belief.

“If I’m honest, today’s win could have been a lot more emphatic. We created a number of chances and, apart from a five-minute spell before half time, we were always the aggressors.”

Wednesday managed just a couple of worthwhile efforts on target and could have left Griffin Park on the end of a much heavier defeat but for goalkeeper Cameron Dawson.

Smith believes the midweek trip to Aston Villa, the club he supported as a boy, will be a massive test for his young side.

But he said: “They should have gone up last season, they have very good players and a very good manager, but we will go there full of belief.”