Frank hails players after historic Brentford victory

Thomas Frank hailed his Brentford players after they claimed an historic Carabao Cup semi-final place with victory over Newcastle.

A fine strike by midfielder Josh Dasilva on 65 minutes was enough for the Bees to see off their Premier League opponents and secure the club’s first-ever appearance in a major semi-final.

They are now undefeated in their past 14 games – and their diligent approach paid off on a night when they created a number of good opportunities.

“To go first of all, over the line and to create a new chapter in Brentford history, is great,” said Bees head coach Frank.

“It shows how far we have progressed as a club. Matthew Benham, the owner, deserves a lot of credit.

“The way we did it was fully deserved. It should have been more. It was scrappy but it made me so proud. Josh had a top game and performed fantastic.”

Frank decided to rest Ivan Toney, Bryan Mbeumo and Mathias Jensen against the Magpies, who currently sit 12th in the Premier League. It was a calculated risk which ultimately paid off.

“We rested Ivan and Bryan a bit as we have a busy schedule,” added Frank.

“On the day we knew we could put in a good performance out there but you never know what you’re going to get. A lot of players deserve praise as did our keeper Luke (Daniels). It was still a strong team we put out there.”

The semi-final will be only one leg this season – and Frank admits this is advantageous for the Bees who have already undertaken a busy season.

He explained: “Yes, it is one game and in this season it could only be one game. We must be up there with the most games played in Europe.

“My players are 24/7 pros and are strong and fit. It is great to compete against these clubs (like Newcastle) with the amount of games played.

“If you are in the semi-final you will do anything to get to the final, especially now that the final has been moved to April, and maybe we can have fans with us. It would be fantastic to go to the final.”