Brentford 1-0 Preston North End, Championship: report, ratings and verdict

VS.

Brentford 4-3-3

1

0

Preston North End 5-3-2

Half Time: 1 - 0 Griffin Park ( Attendance: NA )
1 min

Brentford earned their eighth straight Championship win with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Preston North End to move within a single point of second-placed West Bromwich Albion.

The Bees scored inside five minutes for the second successive match as Emiliano Marcondes chipped a lovely ball into the path of Ollie Watkins, who smashed it past the outstretched hand of Preston keeper Declan Rudd.

The remainder of the half saw some fantastic saves from both goalkeepers – Brentford’s David Raya managing to keep out Darnell Fisher’s free-kick while Rudd got a hand to a powerful Said Benrahma shot. 

Preston dominated possession early in the second period but failed to create any clear cut chances while at the other end Benrahma nearly made them pay after drifting inside and firing his shot just wide on 72 minutes.

Neither side were able to find any clear cut chances late on as Brentford spurned multiple counter-attack opportunities and Andrew Hughes’s header for PNE was easily collected by Raya.

The result means Brentford now sit on 81 points, just one behind the Baggies as they continue their surging run towards automatic promotion.

Key Points

Check out all the key talking points and reaction from London Football Scene below…

Key Moment

David Raya’s brilliant diving save from Darnell Fisher’s free-kick kept his clean sheet and Brentford’s 1-0 lead intact.

Moan of the Match

Brentford struggled to keep possession at times in the second period, allowing Preston chances to get back into the match.

Talking Point

Ollie Watkins grabbed his 25th goal of the season – will he win the Golden Boot in his first full season as a central striker?

Man of the Match

David Raya – made sure the game ended 1-0 with a couple excellent saves, and stayed alert, ready to clean up any danger posed by the Lilywhites.

Tweet of the Match

Referee Watch

Darren England (South Yorkshire) – wasn’t fooled by any dives, kept the match flowing while making all the right decisions.

Atmosphere

Fans at Griffin Park would surely have been in full voice, encouraging their beloved Bees towards automatic promotion, but doing so from afar will have to do for now.

Verdict

It certainly wasn’t Brentford’s prettiest performance, but at this stage of the season all that matters is the three points.

Line Ups

Brentford 4-3-3

Raya; Dalsgaard, Jansson, Pinnock, Henry; Jensen (Dasilva, 67), Marcondes (Zamburek, 88), Norgaard; Mbeumo (Valencia, 75), Watkins, Benrahma

Subs not used:

Daniels, Canos, Dervisoglu, Jeanvier, Fosu, Roerslev

Booked

Benrahma, Watkins

Preston North End 5-3-2

Rudd; Fisher (Stockley, 74), Storey, Bauer, Hughes, Rafferty; Ledson (Harrop, 84), Browne (Potts, 74), Johnson; Barkhuizen (Sinclair, 75), Maguire (Bodin, 84)

Subs not used:

Hudson, Huntington, Gallagher, Nugent

Booked

Rafferty

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