Match Report from the offical Bentford FC Website
Having played away earlier in the season Brentford aimed to make amends in this home game having lost to Charlton 7-1, who not surprisingly sat top of the league. Upon waking this Saturday was cold and fresh but I didn't envisage that this would affect the start of this game. The car dashboard said the outside temperature was -3 but still I drove to the ground expecting the normal time of Kick Off. Upon arrival it wasn't surprising that the pitch was still frozen and with the variety of boots the players were wearing made it dangerous conditions indeed for them and probably even worse, expecting goalkeepers to throw themselves around on. The normal kick off time was looking unlikely as the trainers and managers were in constant discussions with the referee and it was Important that the players found ways of keeping warm and their fluids up as kick off was actually delayed in the end for an hour. When the game kicked off Charlton were more alert to the cause and managed to score straight from the kick off. To most people their feared the worst but Brentford were more resilient than the previous game. Even so Charlton still managed to win this game 1-3.
There was further disappointment for Brentford’s Youth Team in the U18 Professional Development League Two South as they went down 3-1 to Charlton Athletic at Jersey Road this morning.
The Bees had fallen behind after just 19 seconds after Seth Owens’ miskick allowed Alex Willis to tap over the line from close range and Daniel Bowry thumped home at the back post to ensure The Addicks went into the break with the advantage.
Just after the break Julius Fenn-Evans scored his second of the season when he met Josh Bohui’s cross, but despite a resilient performance from Brentford, on the hour mark Kenneth Yao beat Cameron Greaves with a fine curling effort from outside the box.
Jon De Souza made five changes to the starting lineup that drew with Colchester United last weekend; Greaves replaced Ellery Balcombe in goal, David Titov, Sean Bird and Tony Guppy made their first starts of the year, whilst left-back Romayne Pennant featured in a game for the first time since September
Charlton were sitting pretty at the top of the league, having lost just once in their last eight games and showed just why less than 30 seconds in when Owens attempted clearance flew over his head and landed on the line, leaving Willis the easy task of tapping home.
The same thing had happened in the 7-1 defeat to Charlton back in November, but this time the Bees recovered much more positively, despite rarely threatening to beat visiting goalkeeper Jordan Beeney between the sticks.
Greaves was reinstated in goal for the home side and looked to have a point to prove, making a string of fine saves from Jordan Zemura, Suliaman Bah and Sam Bone all inside the first 15 minutes.
Brentford had picked up first point in five games in 1-1 draw with Colchester United last weekend, but haven’t won a game for three months tomorrow, largely due to the lack of an out-and-out goalscorer but showed their defensive quality; battening down the hatches to keep the energetic Charlton attack at bay.
Five minutes prior to half-time, a Charlton corner went unchallenged and a weak header out fell to centre-back Bowry, who expertly volleyed the shot home first time at the back post to make it 2-0.
The Bees continued to press in the second half and produced a carbon copy of Kyjuon Marsh-Brown’s goal last weekend four minutes after the break when Bohui ran down the left-wing and squared for Fenn-Evans to slot home.
But substitute Yao wrapped up the three points with an hour gone when he found himself in space outside the box and curled a delightful shot past the beaten Greaves.
Charlton reasserted their early dominance in the closing quarter of the match, but it was Brentford who had perhaps the best opportunity of the second half late on, when Danny Parish flicked the ball on for overlapping substitute Luke Dunn, but he could only drag the shot agonisingly wide.
Jon De Souza’s side will be hoping to improve their fortunes next weekend when they travel to South London to face Crystal Palace
Brentford: Cameron Greaves, David Titov (George Harmes 78), Romayne Pennant, Giovanni McGregor, Seth Owens, Sean Bird, Josh Bohui, Tony Guppy, Danny Parish, Julius Fenn-Evans (Ian Carlo Poveda 85), Pablo Gonzalez (Luke Dunn 60)
Unused subs: Samuel Kifwasima, Ellery Balcombe
Charlton Athletic: Jordan Beeney, Mustapha Bangura-Williams, Jordan Zemura (Kenneth Yao 46), Sam Bone, Glan Assiana (Aiden Prall 78), Daniel Bowry, George Lapslie (Alfie Doughty 53), Taylor Maloney, Alex Willis, Suliaman Bah, Chris Millar
Unused subs: Romano Simpson, Nathaniel Fowler