Watkins’ late goal earns Bees a point
Brentford 1 Derby 1
Ollie Watkins rescued a point for the Bees with a goal four minutes from time.
Dean Smith’s men are still looking for a first home win of the season after six games at Griffin Park, but Watkins sent the home fans hone happy.
A first-half goal from Wales international Joe Ledley looked as if it might be enough to secure all three points for the visitors, but Watkins prodded home a low cross from substitute Florian Jozefzoon to give the Bees a deserved share of the spoils. It was his fourth of the campaign.
The hosts fell behind after a quarter of an hour, when they allowed a deep cross from the left from Tom Lawrence to be knocked back across the six-yard line by Sam Winnall for Ledley to nod back across Dan Bentley.
But the home side should have been level by the interval as they pinned the Rams back in their own half for most of the opening 45 minutes, dominating possession.
Andreas Bjelland forced Scott Carson to tip aside a header at a corner, Watkins sent in a menacing low cross that only needed a slight touch to find the net and good work from Josh Clarke, jinking to the byline, gave Neal Maupay a decent opening, but the striker’s header lacked power.
Then, as the half drew to a close, Watkins, who seemed to be involved in all the home side’s best moves, nearly beat a stranded Carson with a deflected shot from outside the area.
Brentford were unable to sustain the same levels of pressure after the break, but substitute Chris Mepham headed a corner agonisingly wide and Nico Yennaris was just off target with a rasping long-range effort. After the equaliser, Yoann Barbet sent a free-kick narrowly wide.
In a feisty opening half, seven players were yellow carded, with Ryan Woods joining Derby players Bradley Johnson and Andre Wisdom in the book after one touchline melee.
