Brentford manager Thomas Frank has praised striker Ollie Watkins after his brace helped Brentford to a 3-1 win at QPR's Kiyan Prince Foundation Stadium last night.

Watkins nodded home in the first half after drifting in between the two centre-backs to meet a cross, before slotting into an empty net late on following a Bees counter.

The former Exeter City striker now takes his tally to 10 for the league season, equaling his tally from each of the past two Championship seasons.

On Watkins, Frank said: "I can only praise him for his work ethic – look how hard he works throughout the game.

“That’s a massive, big thing for us. We were pressing high constantly in the second half – chasing everything and keep on pushing up. His focus is on developing and wanting to get better.

“We’ve been working very hard with him to stay on the last line. The first goal was a clear example of that – we want him in between the two centre-backs. He’s doing that very well."

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23 year-old Watkins has normally been used as a winger during his career so far, however Frank has converted him into a central striker this season following Neal Maupay's departure for Brighton & Hove Albion in the summer.

The in-form forward is now only one goal behind the Championship's leading scorer, Fulham's Aleksandar Mitrovic, and the young Englishman places second in the rankings as he has helped the Bees move up to 12th in the division.

The Bees are only three points off of sixth-placed Bristol City, who are on 24 points, as Watkins looks to be the man who spearheads their play-off charge.

The Verdict

Frank has every right to praise his forward after his 'man of the match' display against Brentford's derby win away at QPR.

The 46 year-old is getting the best out of Watkins having worked with him during the forward's rise to prominence at Brentford since signing in 2017, and putting his trust in the striker is paying off in the long-run.