Bees bounce back from two goals down to beat Blackburn

Posted Sunday, February 03, 2019 by PA

Brentford came from two goals down to stun Blackburn and end their four-game winning run in a 5-2 Sky Bet Championship rout at Griffin Park.

Goals from top scorer Neal Maupay, Said Benrahma, Sergi Canos and an Ollie Watkins brace capped an impressive turnaround after early strikes from Rovers’ Bradley Dack and Danny Graham.

The visitors made an explosive start and were ahead inside two minutes when Dack swept home Adam Armstrong’s drilled cross at the near post.

They doubled their lead six minutes later when Graham rose unmarked in the box to loop Harrison Reed’s free-kick just inside the angle.

But the early setback sparked the Bees into life and they stunned Tony Mowbray’s side with a scintillating five-goal salvo either side of the break.

Benrahma started the fightback, cutting in from the left to curl home into the far corner after a sweeping seven-man passing move that carved the Rovers defence apart.

Rovers went in 2-1 ahead at the break but it was only a temporary reprieve and Watkins levelled the scores when he fired home a 25-yard screamer from a quickly taken free-kick just before the hour.

The visitors’ cause was not helped when the fulcrum of their side, Dack, limped off after 51 minutes. From that point on they looked shell-shocked by the speed of the hosts’ attacks.

Watkins made it 3-2 with 17 minutes remaining when he reacted quickest to Maupay’s deflected drive, which flew high into the air, beating goalkeeper David Raya to nod into the gaping net.

Six minutes later Brentford made it four with a slick three-man move on the edge of the box that ended with Maupay slamming home his 18th of the campaign.

Substitute Canos completed the rout in added time when he raced onto a neat Maupay flick to draw Raya and fire home from 15 yards.

It was all so promising for Rovers early on when they raced into the lead, but man of the match Benrahma’s dipping curling shot from the left – which was tipped wide by Raya – signalled their intent.

It was an end to end first half with both sides showing why they went into the game as the Championship’s form sides, Blackburn mixing a direct game with some neat work in attack.

Graham almost made it three for the visitors on 21 minutes when he latched onto a poor Ezri Konsa first touch but lashed his first time effort wide of the upright.

Brentford had Rico Henry to thank for keeping the Bees in it on the half hour when he threw his body on the line to deny Armstrong’s powerful drive.

Dangerman Benrahma almost levelled two minutes later with a superb dipping free-kick which Raya went full length to tip onto the bar.

Influential Bees midfielder Romain Sawyers was teed up by Benrahma as Thomas Frank’s side went in search of a second, but his drive from the edge of the box was always rising.

Brentford dominated after the break and the visitors failed to muster a single shot on goal following Dack’s departure.