Neil took on the role as Brentford B Head Coach in May last year and, alongside Sam Saunders and the rest of the coaching staff, the squad have steadily impressed as the months have passed by.
In March the squad received good news when full back Mads Roerslev was handed a first team contract after impressing for Thomas Frank’s side having had his grounding with Brentford B in the earlier stages of the season. We’ve also seen young Swede Fredrik Hammar make his first team debut as he made a substitute appearance against Stoke City in the Emirates FA Cup, as Jaakko Oksanen was also handed more first team minutes.
With a pause in fixtures due to the COVID-19 outbreak, take a look at some of the standout results for the side so far this season. There were many matches we could have included, but we’ve narrowed it down to five of the best...
Brentford B 3 Reading Under-23s 1, Griffin Park, Wednesday 23 October
Matches at Griffin Park for Brentford B are always special. They represent the opportunity to give the young players a taste of what playing in a stadium environment feels likes. It also represents the chance for supporters to head down to the stadium to cheer on the team as they continue their development.
An Autumn evening in October 2019 saw the side welcome Reading Under-23s in a friendly match, and it was a game where the young Bees stepped up to the mark. More large profile matches occasionally offer the chance for first team names to gain important minutes to ensure that they’re ready for first team football as the likes of Patrik Gunnarsson, Dom Thompson, Dru Yearwood, Jan Zamburek and Mads Bech Sorensen all stepped into the side.
A 3-1 win for The Bees would see them pick up a deserved win but it was 18-year-old Jaden Brissett who shone as he helped himself to two goals, the first of which an excellent finish after some tenacious work before his second saw him slot the ball home from close range following Matej Majka’s ball across goal.
The third goal for the Bees then came in the form of an own goal following a dangerous ball across goal from Gustav Mogensen which was turned into the Reading net by a defender.
AFC Wimbledon 1 Brentford B 3, Kingsmeadow, Friday 29 November
One of the key elements of Brentford B’s fixture list is trying to ensure matches can be played against as many first teams as possible. The opportunity for the players to test themselves against professionals and more experienced players offers the chance for the young Bees to develop a part of their game that they wouldn’t normally do in an academy environment. And one of the standout matches so far this season against a first team came with a win over League One side, AFC Wimbledon.
The Dons were looking to gain some momentum following a new managerial appointment as they looked to solidify their spot in League One. But it was the young Bees who came out on top against a tough outfit, which included Bees loanee Marcus Forss, in a side which had an average age of over just under 23.
The young Bees actually fell behind early on to a strike from Joe Pigott from close range, but Brentford B rallied to an impressive 3-1 win. After the ball was played out to Cole Dasilva on the right-hand side he played a superb cross to the far post into the path of Ali Coote who scored his first of the day with a well taken volley.
Jaden Brissett then kept up his impressive scoring run when a clever run through the middle was found by Arthur Read’s pass before the winger stepped up coolly to slot past the onrushing Wimbledon keeper. After an hour Brentford B would extend their lead as Coote notched his second when he latched onto a clever ball inside the left-hand channel into the box before he chipped home to make it 3-1.
Harrow Borough 1 Brentford B 7, Earlsmead, Tuesday 3 December
A rampant display in the London Senior Cup couldn’t be left out of the top five as the young Bees hit seven goals past their opponents to move into the Quarter-Finals of the competition back in December.
Joe Adams would net the first of the evening when he was alive to a loose ball in the box and just a minute later Arthur Read would net with a fierce attempt from the edge of the area. The first half would finish 3-0 as Brissett got himself on the scoresheet on 39 minutes when the side won the ball back high before the winger thumped an effort into the far corner.
It would be all one-way traffic in the second half as Mogensen got the first of his three goals before Michael Bryan pulled a goal back against the run of play for Harrow after the young Bees were undone by a set piece. But soon after Mogensen would grab his second of the evening after a clever ball forward from Nick Tsaroulla which found the Dane onside before he finished well to make it 5-1. His hat-trick came just a couple of minutes later from the penalty spot before the seventh was scored by Adams, once again from the spot.
Wingate & Finchley 0 Brentford B 1, Maurice Rebak Stadium, Tuesday 28 January
A quarter-final tie in the Middlesex Senior Challenge Cup awaited the young Bees in January following their week’s stay in Portugal. It was a game which saw Brentford B have to battle for the win, and they were well worth it having created a great deal of chances over the course of the 90 minutes.
Chances for the likes of Fredrik Hammar, Arthur Read and Paris Maghoma all fell for Brentford B in the first half, but some determined defending and good blocks ensured that the sides would go in level at the break.
But a fast start from Neil MacFarlane’s side in the second period saw the ball threaded into the path of Mogensen who kept up his excellent scoring figures for the season as he controlled well before slotting home calmly.
For as long as the score stayed at 1-0, though, the home side were still in the game and they had a glorious chance to level when a low cross in from the right found Sean Grace, and despite trying to stab an effort goalwards, Patrik Gunnarsson did well to block as The Bees held out for the win.
Pafos FC 0 Brentford B 6, Stelios Kyriakides Stadium, Monday March 2
Having spent time in the likes of Spain, France, Austria and Portugal, March saw the side travel to Cyprus for two fixtures against local side Pafos FC before a fixture with Russian team, FC Rodina Moscow.
It was the match with Pafos, though, which caught the eye as a scintillating performance saw Brentford B net six times without reply.
The opening goal arrived on 12 minutes when the Pafos keeper was forced into an error as he passed the ball straight to Majka following some good pressure, and the winger played a one-two with Arthur Read before slotting low into the net.
Brentford B would double their lead just three minutes later, and this time it came from a set piece, when a Jaakko Oksanen wide free-kick was whipped into the box for Hammer to slot home from close range.
Just before the half hour mark the young Bees would notch their third and Jaden Brissett’s first as he managed to find space in the box to tap home from Majka’s wonderful cross from the right. That would be the youngster’s first goal since returning from an injury layoff which occurred against Rangers back in December last year.
Finishes from Read and another Brissett strike would make it 5-0 at half-time, and Nick Tsaroulla netted a penalty in the second period as the young Bees recorded an impressive score line.