Brentford Under-19s booked their place in the next round of the Middlesex Senior Cup with a 5-4 win on penalties over North Greenford United on Tuesday evening at Wheatsheaf Park.
Jai Bansoodeb found the opener late in the second half, but his effort was cancelled out by an equaliser from the visitors with two minutes to play, with the game ending 1-1 after 90 minutes. All five of the young Bees' penalties found the back of the net in the shoot-out, as Connor Wolfheimer made a superb save to keep out the visitors' first spot kick.
North Greenford started promisingly and nearly found the opener on three minutes. As the ball fell to Charlie Mitchell outside the box, he sent a powerful left-foot strike at goal, Brentford goalkeeper Wolfheimer diving high to his left to tip the ball over the bar.
The young Bees responded positively and came inches from the opener on seven minutes. After Domeiro Bobb-Semple was taken down outside the box, Bansoodeb stepped up to take the free-kick, with the Brentford no.10 sending a low, powerful strike around the wall and into the right post before the ball was cleared for a corner.
Both sides were showing intent to score early, the visitors going on the attack as the clock ticked over 10 minutes. Francesco Pass’ cross from the left side found Rahim Jude-Boyd at the back post, but his header was safely secured by Wolfheimer.
The Bees’ backline was put under pressure again on 16 minutes. A North Greenford corner found Georgie Brown, who headed the ball centrally, the ball falling back to him. The defender fired a right-footed shot across his body, but the ball raced wide of the goal.
The west Londoners seemed to have scored on 36 minutes. Bansoodeb’s corner found Bobb-Semple free in the box, with the Brentford no.11 heading the ball toward the bottom left corner. North Greenford goalkeeper Sam House dived quickly to the ground to keep the ball out; however, the score remained level.
Coran Madden replaced Bobb-Semple at half-time and had an immediate impact for the hosts. Breaking through the middle of the pitch, the no.12 played the ball to Luca Picotto streaming into the left side of the visitors’ box. The left-back got by his man and was taken down, but shouts for a penalty were waved off by referee Ben Wong.
At the other end, George Harmes’ cross from the right side found Pass free in the six-yard box, but his headed shot was saved by Wolfheimer diving to his left.
The Bees responded through Jovan Kasujja, the striker shooting across his body with his right foot near the edge of the box, but it was sent straight at House, who cleared the danger.
As the hour mark came and went, Taylor Miles’ cross found Cheyce Grant in the box, his overhead effort sailing wide of the bar.
With 20 minutes to play, Bansoodeb played a neat ball to Naeem Giscombe on the right side, the winger making his way into North Greenford’s box but putting his shot over the bar.
With under 15 minutes to play, the Bees had the opener. Bansoodeb’s corner from the right side was perfectly placed at the back post, sailing over House’s fingertips and into the back of the net to make it 1-0.
The lead was short-lived, however, as on 88 minutes the visitors had an equaliser, with Grant hitting the ball on the volley inside Brentford’s box and finding the back of the net.
Two minutes later Bansoodeb was played into the right side of the box by Giscombe, cut back to his left, and fired at goal, but his shot smashed into the side of the net.
In added time, Giscombe was at it again as he played a pin-point cross from the right side, but the ball was tipped away from the danger area by House, with Wong blowing his whistle for full-time soon after.
Jacob Hanson calmly slotted the first penalty in the shoot-out for Brentford, before Wolfheimer made a brilliant save diving low to his left to keep out the visitors' first.
Picotto, Kasujja, Madden and Bansoodeb each scored their ensuing penalties, as did North Greenford, with Bansoodeb's strike sending the Bees into the next round.
Brentford U19s: Wolfheimer, Trimboli (Oladapo-Gamu 82), Picotto, Powis, Klimas (Ogungbemi 56), Cohalan, Giscombe, Hanson, Kasujja, Bansoodeb, Bobb-Semple (Madden HT)
Subs not used: Agyei, Danso
Booked: Cohalan 68, Bansoodeb 68
North Greenford United: House, Jude-Boyd, Griffith-Dunbar, Byrne, Brown, Quigley (Walters 59), Miles (Kent 82), Harmes, Pass (Gobishavi 86), Kalaj (Grant 53), Mitchell
Subs not used: Rattery
Booked: Miles 54, Walters 74