Andre Gray said his goal for Brentford against Wolverhampton Wanderers meant a little bit more than usual, as he was born and raised in the area.
The striker took his tally for the season to eight with a fine goal in Brentford’s 4-0 win at Griffin Park yesterday afternoon.
He grabbed the third of the afternoon, taking an Alan Judge pass under control 25 yards from goal, turning, running away from two defenders and firing an unerring shot in to the corner.
Andre, who spoke to Bees Player after the game, was on the books of Wolves until the age of 13 and has friends that support Brentford’s Championship rivals, which made the strike a little bit special.
“I wanted to hit it on my second touch but I took it wide,” said Andre, describing his goal.
“I had to get round the second defender.
“He had to take me down or I would have a shot.
“He didn’t want to take me down so I got my shot and it went in.
“I was with Wolves until I was 13.
“I am born and bred and lived there all my life.
“This goal was a bit different, I am from there and I grew up with Wolves fans.
“I have no ties with Wolves but it did mean a lot to score.”
The win was Brentford’s fifth in a row and Andre, who has scored five in that run, said the players were “buzzing”.
They have climbed to third in the Sky Bet Championship but Andre insisted all feet were still on the ground.
Wolves made the game tight in the first half but Brentford opened the scoring just before the half hour when Alan Judge tucked away their first chance.
The visitors opened up after the break and Stuart Dallas, Andre and Jota added further goals.
“We are all buzzing,” said the striker.
“But we are well aware there is still a long way to go.
“Everyone is keeping their feet on the ground but we hope to keep the run going.
“There is still a lot more work to do.
“We know that visiting teams know what we are like at home now.
“Teams will come and worry about us.
“We have to get used to it and find a way around it.
“We know how to do it now; we needed the space and got a lot more of it in the second half.”
Andre said Brentford were able to use the space in the second half as Wolves attacked,
“We have spoken in the past that if we score we can turn it in to two, three or four,” he said.
“That is what happened today.
“Teams sit deep but can’t do it if we score first.
“That helps us to open a team up, get in to the gaps, get midfielders in to the pockets that we like to do.
“At half time we spoke about carrying on doing what we were doing.
“We figured out where the space was, their full backs were bombing on, I had to get down the channels and stretch them that way so we could get our ball players on the ball.
“We broke a lot and it paid off.”
Before scoring against Derby County in the first of Brentford’s five wins Andre had gone eight games without a goal.
He now has five in five.
“Since that Derby goal I have taken it in my stride,” said Andre.
“I am learning a lot and have realised how important I am to the team.
“I am contributing, holding the ball up and bringing people in to play.
“I feel that when I do that we get the best out of us.
“I have learned my job more and that comes with confidence.”
Brentford had not won in three – drawing with Wigan Athletic and Sheffield Wednesday before defeat at Bolton Wanderers – before their five victories in a row and Andre said there would be bumps ahead.
But he said The Bees would be tough to stop if they maintained their current attitude.
“It is easy to be grounded, we are young and hungry,” he said.
“The belief we have got now, we know we have a chance but a lot to do, at the same time.
“We are still the underdogs.
“We go in to every game with the same attitude and I don’t think many teams can stop us.
“There will be bumps and it is how we bounce back.
“After Bolton we have bounced back, winning five.”
Andre Gray’s full post-match reaction is available here for Bees Player subscribers.