Smith hails Woods after Bees win

Dean Smith identified Ryan Woods as his main influence against Bristol City – because of the way he stifled the man most likely to get the visitors ticking.

Woods was ordered to man-mark Lee Tomlin and was so effective that City barely got a look-in during a first half in which the Bees seized control in a comfortable 2-0 win.

“Ryan Woods, I thought, was excellent as a defensive midfielder,” said the Brentford boss.

“We wanted him to do a job on Lee Tomlin, who can open teams up. They changed it at half-time and put [Callum] O’Dowda in there, and he [Woods] did a job on him as well. His use of the ball was excellent, his positioning too.

“It was a super pass from him to Sergi Canos for the first goal. Probably when I first came to the club, he’d have tried a shot from there and probably hit the billboards up high behind the goal.

“I thought Yoann [Barbet] and Harlee Dean were excellent as well. We conceded three goals from set pieces at Burton and coming up against the likes of Tammy Abraham and Aden Flint, I thought we dealt with them really well today.”

Both Canos and Maxime Colin had to be withdrawn in the second half after receiving “whacks in the calf” but Canos, at least, should be okay for the home game against Leeds on Tuesday night.

Barbet, Konstantin Kerschbaumer and Rico Henry all suffered cramp during Saturday’s encounter and will be assessed in the coming days to see whether they need to sit out the midweek game.