High-flying Brentford pile on misery for Sheffield Wednesday

BRENTFORD 5, SHEFF WED 0

manchesterfootball.info pays a nostalgic visit to Brentford for their sixth last league game to be staged at Griffin Park.

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After 114 years at their current home, one of the last remaining traditional grounds, the Bees are to move to a new state-of-the-art stadium a stone’s throw away at Kew.

And Brentford, currently fourth and in the play-off places, are bidding to bow out on a high with promotion to the Premier League.

The Bees didn’t look like a team that went into the game without a win in five games – admittedly it was four draws and only one defeat as they enjoyed a thumping 5-0 victory against a Sheffield Wednesday side in freefall with only one win in 10 games.

The Owls, who had been third at Christmas, have dropped into the bottom half of the table.

And manager Garry Monk was apologetic to fans, declaring: “Not often in my life am I short of words – I am nothing but embarrassed and it was inexcusable.

“We were hiding and the players needed to show responsibility on the pitch.

“What you need to show is heart and we didn’t show it. It is the most embarrassed I have felt in my time in football and I apologise to the fans.”

Monk spoke of “wider issues” at the club, and not only on the pitch.

He added there will be changes in the summer, irrespective of whether he is still manager.

Monk added he is not a quitter but fully aware that in his job he needs results.

Brentford had the game won within 40 minutes after establishing a 3-0 lead following a terrific first-half display.

Head coach Thomas Frank said: “It was the way I want to play offensively and the way we worked for the third goal was top quality in its structure. Wow.

“The biggest headline was the way we defended and put in some big blocks.

“Last season and this one we knew we would be an offensive threat, but the concern was the defensive side in terms of mentality and structure, but we were bang on.”

Ollie Watkins, part of the legendary BMW, had struck the bar before the Bees took the led in the 11^th minute through Jos Dasilva who began the move with a powerful forward burst and finished it after Watkins provided the assist.

They doubled the lead seven minutes through Emiliano Marcondes’ screamer which looped over goalkeeper Cameron Dawson.

Henrik Dalsgaard was denied by the legs of Dawson before Marcondes threaded a pass to Bryan Mbeumo who fired home the third.

Wednesday, whose fans chanted the players weren’t fit to wear the shirt as they left the field, made two changes at the break as Connor Wickham and Fernando Forestieri were brought on.

There was no way back for Wednesday, though, as Brentford were able to build on their advantage.

Benrahma produced exceptional footwork to set up Dasilva who scored the fourth in the 73^rd minute.

And substitute Tariqe Fosu, who had only been on the field for five minutes, added the fifth with eight minutes with an excellent shot on the turn.

Bees’ keeper David Raya’s only save came in the 89^th minute when he tipped over a header from Tom Lees.