Brentford B Head Coach Neil MacFarlane felt his side were well worth their victory as they overcame Corinthian-Casuals in the First Round of the London Senior Cup on Tuesday evening.

It was a game that the young Bees dominated for large parts with a lot of possession and some promising football going forwards. The game was won in the 38th minute when Kyreece Lisbie controlled in the box and fired home. A solid defensive performance limited the Isthmian Premier Division side to very little in front of goal as the Bees progressed in the competition that they went on to win last season.

“I’m really pleased, I thought it was a terrific cup tie where Corinthian-Casuals put a lot into the game as well,” explained Neil. “We’re on a really good run of performances and results, our attitude towards the game was first class.

“We’re really pleased for Kyreece. He’s starting to chip in with goals and that’s allied to his unbelievable work ethic at the top of the pitch which really drives the team on. Every player is really at it in that respect. It was a good finish from Kyreece, and he could well have had a couple more too.

“In the first half I thought we were really good but in the second half we got a bit sloppy at times. We weren’t at the same levels as we were in the first half. We created some good moments, especially through Isaac down the right-hand side throughout the 90 minutes. We kept a clean sheet and Roco (Rees) was very good in goal again and the back line did well.”

The B Team Head Coach opted to deploy youngsters Tony Yogane and Isaac Holland out wide with the game offering the two 17-year-olds the chance to gain some experience against men’s opposition in a competitive tournament. Neil believes that the exposure they had will further add to their development as both impressed on the night.

He continued: “Coming up against men in this type of competition which will only help them and benefit them for the years to come. I thought that both of them acquitted themselves fantastically well.”

As for Rees in goal, he made a stunning save from a Casuals free-kick which was destined for the top left-hand corner. Neil believes the goalkeeper had an impressive performance, particularly with his ability to help the side start their attacks.

He continued: “He didn’t have to do much but his distribution for our build-up play was good, particularly when we were in the ascendancy in the first half and when he had to make the save, he did, which is an important part of his game which he’s improved immensely and I thought he was excellent tonight.”

Discussing the competition more widely and the tests it will once again throw at his players, Neil is looking forward to seeing more development in the players.

He continued: “The challenges will be different in every game that we play in. We want to keep on improving on our performances and hopefully that can lead us through the competition and if it does, like last year, then we can have some unbelievable experiences at the end of it. This game was one of the best opening round games that we’ve had in this competition.”

Neil was also keen to thank B Team Analyst Alfie Sparks as he worked his last game as part of the B Team Staff before he moves on to a new challenge in Sky Bet League One.

He said: “Alfie has been fantastic for me in an analytical aspect and for all the staff. He moves on to Forest Green Rovers and he goes with our best wishes and he’s always welcome back here.”