Jack Bonham saved the decisive spot kick as Brentford B overcame Liverpool Under-23s on penalties in a friendly match at Griffin Park this evening. Flemming Pedersen’s side had led 2-0 just after the break thanks to efforts from Herson Rodrigues Alves and Danny Parish but Ben Woodburn struck twice in five minutes late on to send the match to a shootout. Yoann Barbet, playing his first match since July due to an ankle injury, Chris Mepham, James Ferry, Raphael Assibey-Mensah, and Nathan Fox scored for The Bees before Joe Maguire saw his weak effort palmed away by Bonham.

Other than Barbet, The Bees team was made up entirely of players from Flemming Pedersen’s B Team squad. Summer arrivals Lukas Talbro and Ilias Chatzitheodoridis started at full-back with Justin Shaibu on the right-hand side of the attacking trio. The visitors, who included £7 million man Thiago Ilori in their starting XI, matched The Bees formation-wise and that led to an open start to the game. Last season’s top scorer Jan Holldack nearly profited from a weak Tom Brewitt pass but Caoimwin Kelleher was off his line quickly to clear. At the other end, Brooks Lennon’s dinked cross was headed wide by Toni Gomez from close range. The chances continued to come in the opening ten minutes as Shaibu nodded over before Kelleher made a fine block save from Holldack’s well-struck shot.

After that electric start, the game settled into more of a pattern with Brentford, and Ferry and Westbrooke in particular, seeing plenty of the ball. When Liverpool were in possession, The Bees left Shaibu and Alves forward to support Holldack giving them options on the break. From one of those breaks Shaibu’s pace allowed him to beat his man but his final ball to Holldack was a poor one and easily cleared. Alves went close after more good work from the impressive Chatzitheodoridis but the winger’s next involvement saw The Bees go ahead. Westbrooke was the architect with an inch-perfect through ball which Alves took one touch to control and a second to poke past the on-rushing Kelleher.

The Bees were comfortable after the goal and looked at home on the wide open spaces of the Griffin Park pitch. When Liverpool did threaten Barbet kept pace with Lennon and slid in to clear the danger before Yan Dhanda headed The Merseysider’s final chance of the half wide at the back post. The second period started in a similar vein to the first with chances at both ends. Maguire made a vital challenge on Alves after good build-up from Shaibu while Barbet returned the compliment moments later as the Liverpool left-back broke into the area. A second goal did duly arrive ten minutes after the break as Kelleher dithered in goal and, under pressure from Holldack, played the ball straight to Parish who scored with his first touch after coming off the bench.

That second goal stung the visitors into action and they looked much more of a threat in the final 30 minutes. Bonham had to go full stretch to turn away Dhanda’s deflected shot, Callum Brannagan sending the rebound into the side netting. Woodburn drove a shot wide, after cutting in from the left, and Bonham was alert to palm Dhanda’s effort behind. From the resulting corner Onariase nodded Brewitt’s powerful header over the bar and Adam Phillips also went close before the visitors’ pressure told 13 minutes from time. It wasn’t one Bonham will want to see again as Woodburn’s shot bounced over the keeper as he dived to his left and found the bottom corner. Five minutes later the game was all square as Woodburn struck again, receiving the ball on the edge of the box, he turned Mepham inside and out before firing clinically inside the far post past Bonham.

There was still time for Phillips to come close to winning it for The Reds before a penalty shootout to decide the bragging rights. Liverpool replaced their keeper in the dying seconds and it looked to be an inspired move as Andy Firth saved from Westbrooke to hand Garton a chance to win it. However, he smashed his effort against the post and, after Nathan Fox had nearly burst the net with his spot kick, Maguire was denied by Bonham to give The Bees the victory.

Brentford B: Jack Bonham; Lukas Talbro (sub Nathan Fox 74 mins), Emmanuel Onariase (sub Chris Mepham 74 mins), Yoann Barbet, Ilias Chatzitheodoridis; James Ferry, Zain Westbrooke; Herson Alves (sub Danny Parish 54 mins), Reece Cole (sub Raphael Assibey-Mensah 82 mins), Justin Shaibu (sub Kyjuon Marsh-Brown 67 mins); Jan Holldack (sub Marc Rio 82 mins)

Subs not used: Jarvis Edobor, Dominik Kurasik

Liverpool U23: Caoimwin Kelleher (sub Adam Firth 90 mins); Corey Whelan, Tom Brewitt, Thiago Ilori (sub Kane Lewis 46 mins), Joe Maguire; Matt Virtue-Thick; Cameron Brannagan, Adam Phillips; Brooks Lennon (sub Ben Woodburn 62 mins), Toni Gomez (sub Nat Phillips 46 mins), Yan Dhanda (sub Brad Garton 82 mins)