The New Year saw three fixtures in January and three in February. The opening sixth of the year was eventful as Brentford B picked up their biggest ever win, completed a tour of Ireland and saw a game abandoned at half-time due to heavy snow.
The first match saw a god Exeter side held to a draw at Brentford's training ground in Osterley. David Titov scored his first goal of the season as Zain Westbrooke also netted from close range. Herson Rodrigues Alves was on hand to level things after The Grecians had snuck into a 3-2 lead, the Portuguese winger slotting home an equaliser in the last eight minutes of time.
Next up, a double-header with Reading. The first game became Brentford B's biggest ever win; a 9-1 hammering of their opponents with a squad that included several Bees First Team players.
Emiliano Marcondes, Lewis Macleod and Tom Field scored braces for a combined tally of six, then Alan Judge, Zain Westbrooke and Reece Cole netted the others. Despite the difference in age groups on the field, B Team Coach Allan Steele insisted after the game that his side were encouraged to show that the difference on paper should also appear in the scoreline. It certainly did.
The rematch saw The Royals give everything they had to not lose the second game. In rainy conditions, and with Brentford lacking the fire power from the week before, Reading grabbed a 3-2 win at Hogwood Park. Bradley Clayton and Theo Archibald were on the score sheet for O'Connor's side as the pitch condition deteriorated quickly.
The second squad flew to Ireland for their next tour soon after that, arriving in Dublin to face two men's teams at the start of February.
The first game was against Dundalk near the border with Northern Ireland, a game that finished 2-1 to the home side in front of a healthy crowd at Oriel Park. Bradley Clayton had given The Bees an early lead but two second-half goals got the crowd going as the Irish side snatched victory thanks to Stephen Folan's 85th-minute strike.
Against Shamrock Rovers, Brentford got another fine test from the opposition. This time it was The Bees who turned the tables. Going behind to a Graham Burke strike before half-time, O'Connor's lads rallied in the next 45 to put two past their opponents in the final 10 minutes. First Theo Archibald struck from distance before Jarvis Edobor stormed in to nod home his first Brentford goal and win the game.
The final match in February was supposed to be Swansea City U23 vs Brentford B but heavy snow looked likely to put a stop to the game. Before the game, the venue had to be changed from Jersey Road's frozen pitch to the artificial surface at Bedfont Sports Ground.
After a downpouring of snow, the weather cleared in time for kick-off and The Bees stormed the first half. Zain Westbrooke, Ali Coote, Marcus Forss and Jarvis Edobor netted in the opening period and the team went in at the break in full control.
Then the weather took over, with snow thundering down on the surface so much that the referee had to stop the game just after the beginning of the second half.
January/February Results
Brentford B 3 Exeter City XI 3 - Report
Brentford B 9 Reading U23 1 - Report
Reading U23 3 Brentford B 2 - Report
Dundalk 2 Brentford B 1 - Report
Shamrock Rovers 1 Brentford B 2 - Report
Brentford B vs Swansea City (Abandoned) - Report
January/February Goalscorers - Zain Westbrooke (2), Emiliano Marcondes (2), Lewis Macleod (2), Tom Field (2), Theo Archibald (2), Bradley Clayton (2), Jarvis Edobor (1), Reece Cole (1), Alan Judge (1), Herson Rodrigues Alves (1), David Titov (1)