Kevin O’Connor’s young Development Squad fell to a 3-1 defeat at Florence Park this afternoon against Colchester United in the U21 Professional Development League Two South.

Femi Akinwande put the hosts ahead inside the opening ten minutes but The Bees hit back almost instantly through Reece Cole’s fine long-range free-kick.

The game was decided in three minutes just before the hour as The Us netted twice, the first when Kieran Bailey slotted home from close range and the second a neat curling finish from Chris Regis as United overtook Brentford and moved to third in the league table.

With a first-team friendly against Tottenham Hotspur also taking place this afternoon it was a very young side that went to Essex with three Youth Team players in the starting XI and seven first-year professionals also named in Kevin O’Connor’s side.

On a cold but bright afternoon at Florence Park it was The Bees who started the better and had early chances to go ahead. Audrius Laucys and Courtney Senior combined well down the right-wing with the former seeing his low shot gathered by Dillon Phillips. Senior was involved again moments later as his deflected shot fell to Jan Holldack, the German midfielder sending an effort narrowly the wrong side of the post.

Colchester hadn’t offered too much going forward in the opening 10 minutes but when they did mount an attack they took the lead: Akinwande did well to roll Seth Owens inside the area and then poke home from 10 yards.

Akinwande was involved again four minutes later as the hosts could have doubled their lead but Richard Brindley blasted The Us striker’s clever backheel over the bar from 15 yards.

That miss was made to look even more costly moments later as Brentford equalised. Cole curling a fine free-kick past Phillips from 30 yards, the home keeper got a strong hand onto the ball but could only help the ball onto the post and in.

Both sides had been free-scoring in the league this season and chances continue to come as the half wore on. Nik Tzanev made a fine save to deny Akinwande and then made an even better block to turn Louis Dunne’s close-range effort over the bar.

Dunne dragged a shot inches past the post from 20 yards while Brentford had a late chance to go into the break ahead as Holldack fired straight at Phillips from distance.

The Bees chances were dealt a double injury blow after the break with Tzanev going off with a shoulder injury, sustained in a collision with Owens, and Cole also being withdrawn, Jordan Carey and Julius Fenn-Evans, both Youth Team players, coming on to replace them.

The game turned on a three minute spell just before the hour which saw The Bees miss a glorious chance to go ahead before conceding twice in the space of 180 seconds. A mistake by Cameron James let Herson Rodrigues Alves in one on one but Phillips stood tall to block the Brentford strikers’ effort.

The home side won the ball back and attacked straight away, Drey Wright having an effort blocked by Jeremiah Kamanzi but the ball rolled kindly for Bailey at the back post to slot home from 10 yards. Kevin O’Connor’s side had barely had time to register the goal before they went further behind, Regis curling into the top corner from 18 yards.

Fenn-Evans was denied by Phillips before the hosts were the width of the post away from making the game safe, substitute George Brown cutting inside Laucys and seeing his effort bounce away off the base of the post with Carey beaten.

The impressive James Ferry, who alongside fellow Development Squad players Tom Field and Zain Westbrooke signed new one-year deals today, nearly brought The Bees back into things with 15 minutes to play as he picked up a loose ball and drove towards goal before unleashing an effort that looked destined for the top corner until Phillips got up to brilliantly turn it around the post.

Regis saw a deflected effort easily claimed by Carey before Akinwande forced the replacement stopper into more serious action with a low shot that The Bees man did well to hold.

O’Connor’s young side kept going right until the end and created chances to set up a tense final few minutes. Alves beat Phillips to a bouncing ball and lofted his effort over the stranded stopper only for Jacob Partridge to get back to hook the shot off the line.

Laucys shot over the angle of post and bar from 15 yards and Ferry did likewise in the dying seconds as The Bees lost for only the second time in ten matches.

Colchester United: Dillon Barnes; Richard Brindley (sub JJ Wilson 46 mins), Cameron James, Jacob Partridge, Marley Andrews; Drey Wright (sub Tariq Issa 60 mins), Diaz Wright (Sub George Brown 66 mins), Chris Regis, Louis Dunne; Femi Akinwande, Kieran Bailey Subs not used: Callum Robinson

Brentford: Nik Tzanev (sub Jordan Carey 46 mins); Jeremiah Kamanzi, Gradi Milenge, Seth Owens, Audrius Laucys; James Ferry, Reece Cole (sub Julius Fenn-Evans 51 mins); Courtney Senior, Jan Holldack, Herson Rodrigues Alves; Seika Jatta Subs: George Harmes, Zach Birse