Run-In Key to Brentford Promotion Push

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Brentford FC

Brentford were unlucky to miss out on promotion last season and bring Premier League football to their brand-new stadium for this term. So fine were the margins that it took extra time and Fulham full back Joe Bryan to deny them a spot at the top table of English football for the first time in their history.

Beaten Championship Play-off finalists have a good recent record of bouncing back from the pain and disappointment, and going up the following season. The Bees may well do this, but not before three key fixtures during the run-in.

With a dozen games of the regular Championship season left, Thomas Frank’s team sat fourth in the table and Watford holding on to the second automatic promotion spot behind runaway leaders Norwich City. Defeat to the Canaries at Carrow Road in early March reminded Brentford that they still have some way to go to clinch the history everyone connected with the club is so desperate to make.


Things may look very different come two-thirds of the way through April, when they entertain rejuvenated Cardiff City in West London. Mick McCarthy is a tried and tested manager at this level who has lifted the Bluebirds from what looked like being a disappointing season into hopefuls for the Play-offs.

The Bees have their own prolific goalscorer in Championship Golden Boot leader Ivan Toney, but Wales target man Kieffer Moore is also having a fine season under the boss who bought him from non-league to Ipswich Town four years ago. Marking this 6ft 5in centre forward in Cardiff colours promises to be a handful.

Hot off the heels of battling the Bluebirds, Brentford then head to the south coast and Bournemouth. The Cherries were a Premier League club last season, but Eddie Howe and former assistant Jason Tindall, so hastily appointed as his successor, are both long gone.

Jonathan Woodgate, something of a flop in his first managerial role at hometown team Middlesbrough, has the helm at Dean Court until the end of the campaign. Bournemouth still have handy players like Junior Stanislas and Dominic Solanke in attack who do well at this level.

Watford’s visit to the Bees in the penultimate match of the season could be a case of the winner getting promoted, although Swansea City also have a hand in this. Despite the typically competitive nature of the scramble to get out of the Championship, Brentford are strong fancies in the latest football betting online to go up.

If they can beat these teams in and around the Play-off and automatic promotion places, then that keeps fate in their own hands. Norwich seem highly unlikely to surrender their commanding lead the top of the Championship, but getting second place still looks possible.

As the Bees have by far the best attack in the division, and with Toney set to outscore last season’s leading marksman Ollie Watkins, they have the talent to beat their nearest rivals. Making up for going so close to but ultimately missing out on promotion is the goal in West London.