Big match preview 1: Blackburn Rovers v Brentford

BRENTFORD boss David Webb sees Ewood Park as the ultimate shop window for his players tonight.

And if there are a host of top club managers and scouts watching their Coca-Cola Cup second round, second leg, tie from Ewood's guest box tonight - perfect.

For, believe it or not, the canny Cockney, who has masterminded Brentford's unbeaten climb to the Second Division summit, wants to sell the stars in the making who have put them there!

Webb makes no bones about the situation, knowing that given the right breaks a talented young footballer can rapidly add a few noughts to his annual salary cheque.

"It's nice to see a few clubs looking at them and let's hope they have jotted a few names down," said Webb in all seriousness.

"It wouldn't be fair to deny the ambitions that young players might have.

"I can say that because I have a lot of good young players in the reserves too, and it wouldn't be right to stand in their way.

"You hope that these are the kind of games from which they can learn a lot.

"Let's hope they do and then, halfway through the season, someone will be queuing up to buy them."

Webb is as ambitious for his players as they are themselves and, if they can help the Bees make progress on their way to promoting their own careers, so much the better. Presumably the club needs the cash but such an open attitude from the man in charge can only help budding talent such as 18-year-old Marcus Bent who scored Brentford's early winner at Wycombe on Saturday.

And six-goal striker Carl Asaba, fast emerging as a threat to Second Division defences, is another who could benefit.

Twenty-three-year-old Nicky Forster staked his claims for recognition by scoring the first-leg goal that keeps alive Brentford's hopes of pulling off a cup upset tonight.

Forster was already known to Ray Harford from his appearances for the England under-21 side and the Rovers boss speaks highly of him.

Another player to show up well in the first leg was midfielder Scott Canham, snapped up from West Ham after an impressive loan spell with the Bees.

"At times Scott shows some really crafty things," said Webb.

"He's learning. He showed more in the first leg than he did the previous Saturday and I hope he'll be better in the next game and so on. "It's nice to play some of these teams like Blackburn because you can compete against them with craft.

"There are more teams at our level who tend to play route one.

"People get disappointed with results but we have eight or nine players in the team who have only had experience with Brentford.

"And they are learning all the time."

Rovers can testify to that, after being given a tough battle by Brentford in the second half of last week's clash, though they managed to maintain a 2-1 lead for tonight's second leg.

Brentford have shown a liking for scoring early goals - striker Asaba grabbing a hat-trick in the first 21 minutes in a League match at Shrewsbury!

But it was Rovers who were the early birds in London last Tuesday and Harford would like to see the same again.

"The way we went about it in the first half-hour was very good, as it was on Saturday. We just needed the two-goal lead against Everton," he said.

"If we had got it, I am sure the result would have been completely different. Though it's all ifs and buts."

Rovers will be more than happy if they can clear what promised to be an awkward hurdle when the draw was made - and leave Webb to cash in, one way or another, on his fast-emerging stars later in the season.

Seats will be available from the Ewood ticket office until kic bk-off time, 7-45pm, tonight.

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