Boreham Wood 0 – 2 Brentford
Saturday 9th July 2022
LV Bet Stadium Meadow Park, Pre-Season Friendly
WOOD KICK-OFF PRE-SEASON WITH DEFEAT
Goals from Bryan Mbeumbo and Josh Dasilva saw the Wood open their pre-season campaign with defeat against Premier League outfit Brentford.
An early penalty allowed the former to open the scoring after just eight minutes, with the Frenchman comfortably dispatching of the spot-kick to give Brentford the lead. The Wood certainly held their own throughout the game, but Dasilva’s late strike just under the glove of Nathan Ashmore succumbed the Wood to an honourable defeat.
It was Brentford who started off the better team and showed their quality with some neat interplay and combinations while in possession. Despite the Bees’ positive play, the Wood almost gifted their opponents an early opening when Ashmore miskicked a clearance straight into the path of Ryan Trevitt, who combined with Yoane Wissa before sending a tame effort that was unable to beat the Wood stopper.
The hosts were very much limited during the opening stages, as evidenced by Danny Newton’s first effort in a Wood shirt – a hopeful drive from distance that Matthew Cox was behind and able to gather comfortably, and just moments later Brentford had the lead. Wissa was involved once more and linked up well with Rico Henry down the left-hand side, who took a touch before going down in the box under a challenge from Will Evans. The referee had little alternative, with Mbeumbo stepping up to make no mistake from the spot.
The Bees continued to dominate possession and looked constantly dangerous as they sought a second goal, but the Wood were able to keep them at bay. Brentford went closest on 21 minutes when Trevitt drove at the Wood defence and picked out Halil Dervisoglu in the box, who used some good skill to beat the defender before forcing Ashmore into a crucial save.
The hosts looked to hit back though, with Newton heading wide after meeting Jacob Mendy Mendy’s cross from the left, producing a rare opening for the Wood in search of an equaliser.
As the clock ticked towards half time the Bees went up a gear with Trevitt at the heart of it. Three chances in quick succession for the Brentford youngster saw him fire over from the edge of the box before linking up with Wissa to create an opening, but the move broke down after he took too many touches with Wissa eventually being crowded out. Finally, Dervisoglu took the ball in his stride down the right before lifting a delightful ball over to Trevitt, who took a touch and sent a fierce volley goalward that required a block. Ashmore then had to be at his best once more to keep out Pontus Jansson’s header from the subsequent corner.
Another rare chance for the Wood saw Trialist A pounce on a loose ball but his effort was deflected agonisingly wide, before another half chance for Newton saw him head Femi Ilesamni’s deep cross into the side netting.
Trevitt will have been very disappointed to not go into half time with a goal though, as he lifted another effort over the bar after meeting a through ball in the box, before the referee brought a close to the opening 45 minutes.
HT: Boreham Wood 0-1 Brentford
Seven changes after the break saw Dion Kelly-Evans and Danny Elliott come on for their debuts along with the introductions of Josh Rees, Tyrone Marsh, Jamal Fyfield, Connor Stevens and Connor Smith bringing hope of a second half resurgence. However Brentford’s second half XI mounted even more quality in the Bees’ ranks and saw them continue where they left off.
They will have been disappointed to not double their lead after Ashmore made a fingertip stop to deny Nathan Young-Coombes, before the follow-up was sent inches wide of the far post. Shortly after Dasilva led an attack before firing a dangerous drive just wide of the post, but Ivan Toney thought he had doubled his side’s lead ten minutes later when he finished a wonderful solo run by firing a powerful strike into the back of the net, but the assistant’s flag ruled it out.
The Wood were holding their own against Premier League opposition though as goalmouth action began to dry up. With Brentford restricted to few clear chances, Dominic Thompson was the next to go closest when he tried a speculative effort from distance that went well over the bar on 72 minutes, moments before Shandon Baptiste sent a fierce drive on the edge of the box into the midriff of the defender who had to make a good block from close range.
This preceded another example of Brentford’s ability in possession, as a good move found Mads Roerslev in a well-placed position on the right but he was unable to add the finishing touch as he fired into the side netting.
Although the game began to get a little flat, Brentford did eventually find their second goal four minutes from the end, as Dasilva received the ball in the box before firing an effort beyond Ashmore to double the lead and secure the victory.
FT: Boreham Wood 0-2 Brentford
Boreham Wood First Half: Ashmore, Evans, Stephens, Ilesamni, Lewis, Egan, Ricketts, Trialist A, Mendy Mendy, Ndlovu, Newton
Boreham Wood Second Half: Ashmore, Stevens, Stephens, Fyfield, Kelly-Evans, Smith, Egan, Rees, Marsh, Elliott.
Brentford Frist Half: Cox, Stevens, Jansson, Racic, Henry, Peart-Harris, Janelt, Trevitt, Mbeumbo, Dervisoglu, Wissa
Brentford Second Half: Balcombe, Thompson, Canos, Young-Coombes, Dasilva, Toney, Oyegoke, Baptiste, Bech-Sorensen, Roerslev, Maghoma
Star Man: Danny Newton
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