The first game of the 2015/16 season saw a Brentford XI record a win over Hampton and Richmond Borough.

While the record books will list the match as a 90 minute contest, it was effectively two matches with both teams changing their entire side at half time.

Brentford were far too good for their Ryman League hosts in the first half, which saw them field a stronger line-up.

The Bees put out a side mainly made up of their Development Squad players with trialists and scholars making up the 22 selected.

Goals from Jan Holldack and Aaron Green gave the first half side a 2-0 win but the game was different after the break when a younger Brentford side had to dig in and ensure they got the 2-1 victory.

While a few passes went astray, particularly early on, Brentford were a level above Hampton in the first half.

Montell Moore tormented the home defence from his nominal left side position, Holldack and Ryan Williams had the ability and knowhow to find gaps in midfield and when Hampton were able to attack, they got little change from Brentford’s defence.

Moore and Bradley Clayton had early shots blocked for The Bees before Courtney Senior missed the target when a cross dropped loose.

Hampton probably had the best chance of the opening stages when Josh Casey stepped in off the left but his shot was saved by Cameron Greaves.

Brentford made the breakthrough 11 minutes in when Moore set up Holldack and he slotted home from 18 yards.

Hampton could have equalised immediately when Charlie Moone got in behind but his lob drifted wide and that was the cue for Brentford to move through the gears.

Holldack had a shot blocked and Moore fired wide before, from the resulting goal kick, Green brought the ball down on halfway and weaved his way through the home defence before slotting home to double the lead.

Brentford were two up after 15 minutes and in complete command, they were moving the ball well and Hampton’s system was doing little to close down the space.

It enabled The Bees to run their hosts in to the ground and while chances dried up a little, there was little doubt who was on top.

Moore had a shot saved before Hampton goalkeeper Seb Brown went full stretch to palm away a dipping Holldack shot.

When Hampton won a corner and Michael Kamara met it with a header it was just the start of a Brentford attack as Greaves released Holldack – The Bees had five streaming forward at one point but in the end Senior shot wide.

Clayton missed the target and Seika Jatta lifted an effort wide when Moore put him through with only Brown to beat.

Williams and Moore also had chances for Brentford before the half time whistle went and the mass change happened while Eddie Hutchinson headed over at the other end.

The game was immediately different after the break with another left winger – Hampton’s Charlie Knight – in the thick of the action.

He saw two shots saved inside three minutes in the first half, one when put through one-on-one against Brentford’s trialist goalkeeper Amadou Tangara and the other when The Bees lost the ball in defence.

And ten minutes in to the second half he reduced the arrears.

The home side worked the ball down the right and after a Jerome Federico shot was blocked and Knight’s first effort was saved, he forced the loose ball home.

Brentford were unable to reproduce the football they played in the first half after the break.

Their central midfield trio couldn’t quite move the ball around the home side in the way they did early on and they created fewer openings.

Zain Westbrooke hit the outside of the post with an early effort and Jeremiah Kamanzi shot over but Hampton looked more likely to score in the first quarter of the second half.

Tangara saved when CJ Church let fly with a long-range swerving effort and then held on to a deflected free kick from Dan Thompson.

Tangara denied Thompson again and Federico shot wide but Brentford grew in to the second half as it wore on.

Westbrooke became more influential and he fired over after nice interplay on the edge of the box.

Courtney Austin could have scored when he picked up a loose back pass but he was forced wide and when he found Josh Bohui the young attacker couldn’t get past Hampton goalkeeper Matt Pierson.

Westbrooke shot wide after exchanging passes with Austin and then lifted a chip on to the top of the crossbar as the minutes ticked down while at the other end there were half chances for Danny Bassett and Federico that went begging.

In the end Brentford had enough control to ensure they got the win to kick off 2015/16.

Cameron Greaves; Theo Newton, Gradi Milenge, Daniel O'Shaughnessy, Aaron Greene; Jan Holldack, Ryan Williams; Montell Moore, Bradley Clayton, Courtney Senior; Seika Jatta

Amadou Tangara; Audrius Laucys, Luke Tingey, Chris Mepham, Tom Field; Herson Rodrigues Alves, James Ferry; Jeremiah Kamanzi, Zain Westbrooke, Josh Bohui; Courtney Austin

Seb Brown; Tom Jelley, Jake Rose, Michael Kamara, Leon Solomon; Tom Collins, Kieran Murphy, Eddie Hutchinson, Josh Casey; Johnny Cash, Charlie Moone

Seb Brown (sub Matt Pierson 63 mins); James Richmond, Joe Hicks, Ryan Newman, CJ Church; Jerome Federico, Luke Neville, Dean Sinclair, Charlie Knight; Dan Thompson, Danny Bassett

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