Thomas Frank quizzed about Said Benrahma dive as Brentford turn up heat on Leeds United and West Brom

BRENTFORD boss Thomas Frank said he was "not too bothered" about Said Benrahma diving in Wednesday's victory against Preston North End which has meant Leeds United cannot be promoted on Thursday night.
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The thriving Bees ensured they bagged an eighth-straight victory as Ollie Watkins bagged the only goal of the game in the fourth minute of Wednesday's clash at Griffin Park to become the Championship's outright top scorer with 25 goals.

In search of establishing a 2-0 advantage, Benrahma was then booked for simulation by referee Darren England as the forward went to ground after looking to ghost past defender Patrick Bauer in the second half.

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Bauer had made no contact but whilst clarifying that he was not in favour of diving, Bees boss Frank said he was not overly concerned about Benrahma's act as part of a game in which Brentford moved one point behind second-placed West Brom and three behind front-runners Leeds who take in their game in hand at home to Barnsley tonight.

SIMULATION: Brentford's Said Benrahma goes to ground despite Preston North End defender Patrick Bauer not making any contact with the forward in Wednesday's clash at Griffin Park. Photo by Alex Burstow/Getty Images.SIMULATION: Brentford's Said Benrahma goes to ground despite Preston North End defender Patrick Bauer not making any contact with the forward in Wednesday's clash at Griffin Park. Photo by Alex Burstow/Getty Images.
SIMULATION: Brentford's Said Benrahma goes to ground despite Preston North End defender Patrick Bauer not making any contact with the forward in Wednesday's clash at Griffin Park. Photo by Alex Burstow/Getty Images.

Pressed on whether Benrahma's dive was not something that he wanted to see from his players, Frank told Sky Sports: "I think that in general I'm not for diving.

"If there's a free kick they go down if not then don't dive.

"But things happen in a game and honestly I'm not too bothered.

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"It was in a dangerous situation and the thing is many players would have done that.

"All I want to talk about is his qualities.

"He has had a lot of praise the last couple of weeks and it's well deserved because he is a key player and maybe the best offensive player in the league."

Brentford's latest success has now piled the pressure on both West Brom and to a lesser extent Leeds who are two points ahead of the Baggies having played one game less.

Slaven Bilic's Baggies now know that a failure to win at Huddersfield Town on Friday evening would leave their automatic promotion destiny out of their own hands.

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Should the Baggies fail to beat the Terriers, Leeds would also be promoted on Friday night if taking three points from tonight's hosting of Barnsley.

Brenftord, meanwhile, next visit Stoke City in a Saturday 12.30pm kick-off.

Asked if he would be watching the West Brom game, Frank quipped: "I think I'll watch it but mainly because I am sitting in a bus heading towards Stoke so I don't have anything else to do."

Frank added: “We’re in the play-offs (at least). That’s a fact. So why not give it a go for direct promotion?

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“Two games to go and we’re one point off West Brom. We’re on a high. The only thing we can do is focus on the next game.

“I’m looking at Stoke and seeing if we can win nine in a row, which would be even more remarkable than eight. Give it a shot. But we can only give it a shot if we win on Saturday.”

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