Zain Westbrooke’s double set Brentford on their way to a comfortable win at Second Meadow in their pre-season friendly against Biggleswade United.
The midfielder struck twice in the first-half as Lee Carsley’s side proved too strong for their hosts.
Jan Holldack added a third after the break and when Montell Moore and Herson Rodrigues Alves added a fourth and fifth with 20 minutes to go it looked like United would be on the end of a drubbing.
However the Spartan South Midlands Premier League side stuck to their task well in the final stages despite The Bees pressure as it finished 5-0.
On a warm sunny afternoon in Central Bedfordshire The Bees showed their class from the off, keeping possession for long periods and moving their opponents around the bobbly, well-grassed pitch.
Biggleswade weren’t making life easy for themselves as their high line gave the pacey front trip of Seika Jatta, Courtney Senior and the trialist on the right-wing plenty of space to exploit.
It was the trialist who had The Bees first chance slicing wide from 20 yards before a pin-point Gradi Milenge cross-field ball freed Senior who cutback for Westbrooke to shoot, his effort blocked well by Nyasha Sagwete.
Westbrooke, finding space running off United’s central midfield two, hit a dipping shot just over from 25 yards and Milenge headed wide from a corner before Carsley’s side took a deserved tenth minute lead.
Jatta ghosted in down the left-hand side, burst into the box and pulled back for Westbrooke to keep his composure and smash home from 15 yards.
The hosts were getting no change out of the Brentford back-line and were unable to get out of their half for sustained periods.
Sagwete scooped a clearance over his own crossbar, Senior drilled an effort across the face of goals and Aurrekoetxea got a strong hand to a fierce Audrius Laucys drive.
Aurrekoetxea goal came under increasing threat as the half went on and he made another strong save as Jatta let fly from 12 yards.
James Ferry sliced a shot wide from 25 yards as the hosts were slow getting out to a short corner and Senior bent a measured effort just over the angle of post and bar from 30 yards.
Just as the hosts harboured hopes of going in at the break one behind Westbrooke grabbed his second as a quickly taken free-kick caught the hosts napping and he had time to guide an effort from 12 yards into the bottom corner.
Both sides made changes at the break as Moore, Holldack, Tom Field and Bradley Clayton were all introduced.
Those changes, in particular Holldack and Moore, ensured The Bees regained control in the early stages of the second-half.
Moore’s 25 yard effort didn’t quite curl back enough to find the far corner while Holldack fizzed a free-kick just the wrong side of the post from 30 yards.
With both sides taking advantage of the ability to make rolling subs the match lost a little bit of its shape and intensity as the half wore on.
Russell Martin fired well over for the hosts from a tight angle before Holldack grabbed the goal that he had been threatening since his introduction – the German midfielder taking aim from 30 yards and thumping a drive through Aurrekoetxea who could probably have done more.
Field almost added a fourth shortly after, pulling a shot across the face of goal from 12 yards, but The Bees didn’t have long to wait until they grabbed a fourth as a deep corner was hammered home on the half-volley by Moore at the back post.
Aurrekoetxea prevented a fifth straight from the restart making a good block save after Jatta had freed Clayton but he was powerless two minutes later as Herson Rodrigues Alves skipped into the box and tucked home neatly from eight yards.
The hosts were desperate not to let The Bees rack up the goals and defended manfully in the face of Brentford pressure in the closing stages.
They could have grabbed a late consolation as Ollie Peters flicked a header just wide but that was the end of the goal scoring as Lee Carsley’s side ran out comfortable 5-0 winners ahead of Tuesday night’s friendly away at Staines Town.
Brentford DS: Mark Smith; Audrius Laucys, Gradi Milenge, Daniel O'Shaughnessy, Aaron Greene; James Ferry, Zain Westbrooke; Trialist, Herson Rodrigues Alves, Courtney Senior; Seika Jatta
Subs used:Ryan Williams, Jan Holldack, Tom Field, Montell Moore, Bradley Clayton
Biggleswade United: Mikel Aurrekoetxea; Jake O'Neill, Nyasha Sagwete, Lee Bilcock, Matt Cooper; Nick Elliot, Jonny Butler, Mohammed Sarrahzavh, Adam Drakulic; Tom Cookman, Hector Bateller
Subs used: Jonny Smith, Ollie Peters, Martin Russell, Reuben Morrison, Stuart Richardson, James Chisholm, Russell Clarke