Brentford end their season with resounding win over Preston
Brentford 3 Preston 0
Brentford finished a respectable Championship season in satisfying fashion with a comfortable victory at Griffin Park.
Having recovered from an initial scare with defender Julian Jeanvier being carried off in the first minute, the Bees brushed aside Preston with goals from Ezri Konsa and Neal Maupay either side of the interval plus a clincher from Marcus Forss. For French striker Maupay, his cool finish was his 28th goal of the campaign.
The afternoon got off to a luckless, abject start for the hosts when Jeanvier had to be stretchered off in the first minute after a clash with Preston striker Jayden Stockley. The stopper was replaced by Moses Odubajo.
Nevertheless, formidable at home all season, Thomas Frank’s men, looking to seal a top ten finish for the fifth successive season, applied themselves and Sergi Canos saw an 18 yard shot well smothered by Connor Ripley. Meanwhile, Preston, also locked with the Bees in mid-table before kick-off, responded with Callum Robinson’s left foot angled drive which was well palmed away for a corner by Luke Daniels. However, they were all too brief moments of minor interest across a listless first half – until the Bees broke the deadlock.
With Brentford pressing and probing inside the visitors’ area from an initial corner, Canos eventually drove the ball across for Konsa to sweep home from six yards in 45 minutes.
Alex Neil’s side certainly didn’t look like a team that has been having a reasonable campaign – and the west Londoners made Preston pay with a second goal in the 54th minute. Canos was buzzing around on the right hand side and, with time to compose himself, squared the ball for Maupay to fire home with aplomb.
Feeling increasingly confident, Brentford displayed enterprise, with notable attacking trio Canos, Maupay and Ollie Watkins invariably dangerous. Seeking a third, Maupay went close, clipping just over the bar after the most powerful run of the day by Josh Dasilva.
The killer goal arrived in the 83rd minute. Substitute Forss, who had just replaced Canos, arrowed a raking shot from around 25 yards low into the right hand corner. A comfortable strike, ultimately reflecting an afternoon of similar virtue for the Bees.
Brentford: Daniels, Henry, Canos (Forss 78), Maupay, Watkins (Oksanen 78), Dasilva, Marcondes, Dalsgaard, Jeanvier (Odubajo 11), Konsa, Racic.
Match report and reaction to follow.
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