Andrews savours Brentford win and Dasilva’s return
Keith Andrews hailed the determination of his Brentford side following their 3-0 win over West Ham – and the return to action of Josh Dasilva after long-term injury.
The Bees moved up to sixth place in the Premier League table, a point above Brighton, as they chase European football next season with just three games remaining.
In an entertaining clash, a first-half own goal from Hammers defender Konstantinos Mavropanos, a penalty from Igor Thiago a few minutes after the break, and a late strike from Mikkel Damsgaard gave the Bees their first win at home since January.
Thiago’s spot kick was his 22nd Premier League goal of the season.
An excellent day for Brentford was crowned when Dasilva made a welcome late appearance from the substitutes’ bench.
“I feel like this has been coming, but you need to stay on top of performance levels,” said head coach Andrews.
“You need to find a way to win. The first half was bit helter-skelter, but the second half was better. It’s a good day for us.
Dasilva’s outing delighted the home supporters – and Andrews paid tribute to the 27-year-old, who has battled hard to get back to full fitness.
He said: “It was always in the back of my mind to get him back on the pitch. It has been a hell of a journey for him.
“It was a very emotional moment for him and in the dressing room after the game it was emotional. He’s a very special human being.
“Josh was one of my favourite players in years gone by when I was behind the scenes. His ability is not in doubt and if we can keep him fit he will be just fine. Josh was the biggest bonus for me today.”
Andrews also praised the contribution of Thiago. The forward kept his quest for a place in Brazil’s World Cup squad with another fine display.
“I’m running out of superlatives, to be honest,” said Andrews. “He is so intense and shows that in both boxes. There is so much more to his game and today it was all about finding a way.”
