Brentford Under-19s impressed in their Middlesex Senior Cup opener, defeating Bedfont 4-1 at Wheatsheaf Park on Tuesday night.
The young Bees started as they hoped to go on with an early opener through Coran Madden, Jai Bansoodeb adding a second soon after. Second-half goals by Archie Trimboli and Dwayne Mason ensured the west Londoners booked their place in the next round.
Gary McDermott’s side started superbly and took the lead inside the opening five minutes. Centre-back Isaiah Powis played a perfectly placed ball through the Bedfont backline, Bansoodeb running onto it in space. He crossed to Madden in the middle of the box, dragging George Armstrong out of his net for Bedfont in the process, Madden finishing well into an empty net.
Three minutes later Jacob Hanson came close to doubling the advantage. Running onto Naeem Giscombe’s neat ball, Hanson cut to his left and then back to his right in the Bedfont box, but his shot was kept out by Armstrong.
The visitors looked to respond on 11 minutes as Jack Beech put a dangerous cross into the Brentford box and found Nathaniel Mensah, but his header was wide.
Enjoying a spell of momentum, Bedfont came close to equalising three minutes later as Patrick Kavanagh met a corner from the right side, but his glancing header was wide of the target.
Wrestling back control, the Bees doubled their advantage on 21 minutes. Hanson broke through the middle of the pitch before playing to Mason as he streamed through the backline. The Brentford no.9 crossed centrally to Bansoodeb near the edge of the box, the midfielder taking a neat touch to get out of the congestion before finishing well with the outside of his foot to make it 2-0.
The visitors were not deterred despite going down, with James Payne launching a powerful strike at goal after the ball fell off the pack near the edge of the box, but putting his effort wide.
Ibrahim Serme was controlling things well through the midfield and the first-year scholar nearly had an assist to his name on 37 minutes. After playing the ball to Mason breaking through the backline, the no.9 looked to score in the bottom right corner but put the shot wide.
A minute later Hanson found space in the Bedfont box and played it to Madden, the winger looking to curl it home but putting the ball over the bar.
With half-time approaching, the visitors looked to take some momentum into the break. Mensah found space to shoot near the edge of the box, Brentford goalkeeper Connor Wolfheimer diving low to his right to save the shot. The ball stayed in play and was circled around before being crossed in; Mensah’s header was secured by Wolfheimer.
Continually finding space in Bedfont’s half, Hanson played to Madden streaming down the left side of the box on 44 minutes, but his shot was kept out by Armstrong.
Out of the break, it was Bedfont who started on top, pulling one back inside two minutes from the restart. Jack Beech stepped up to take a free-kick from outside the Bees’ box on the right side, curling it beautifully into the bottom left corner.
After conceding, McDermott’s side got the game back on level terms across the pitch, neither side able to piece together a strong attacking move.
That changed on 61 minutes as Nathaniel Ogungbemi broke through the middle of the pitch before playing the ball to Madden streaming into the left side of Bedfont’s box. His cross just missed Mason near the goal line before being cleared out for a corner.
The 64th minute brought with it chaotic transition play. After Mason’s shot was saved down one end, Wolfheimer was called into action to keep out Andre Smith’s strike down the other.
Moments later Giscombe put a well-placed cross from the right side of the Bedfont box to Madden at the goal face, but his header was tipped over the bar by Armstrong.
On 76 minutes Madden found space through the middle of the pitch and played to Hanson on the right side. The Brentford captain pushed forward and fired at goal from outside the box, but his effort was fisted away by Armstrong.
The west Londoners were rewarded for their effort on 78 minutes, finding a third goal. After Bansoodeb created some space, he played the ball to Trimboli, the right-back taking a touch to his right before firing the ball into the bottom left corner.
A fourth goal came two minutes later. After Bansoodeb’s shot was saved, Mason was there for the rebound, sending the ball into the back of the net to put the game to bed and book the Bees’ spot in the next round.
Brentford U19s: Wolfheimer, Trimboli, Ogungbemi, Powis, Biggs (Danso 81), Serme (Noni 81), Giscombe, Hanson, Mason, Bansoodeb (Balogun 81), Madden (Fanoiki 81)
Subs not used: Nicholls
Booked: Danso 85
Bedfont: Armstrong, Beech (Cuthbertson 74), Payne, Kavanagh, Harburn, Smith (Tubb 74), Yala (Molyneaux 74), Mensah, Beck-Nardoni (Ocansey 65), Kazi, Preddie (McCalmon 29)