Lee Carsley’s Development Squad picked up a point away at Charlton Athletic in their penultimate Under-21 Professional Development League Two South fixture.
Zain Westbrooke gave Brentford a first-half lead that should have been added to as The Bees dominated the half but couldn’t find a way past an inspired Dillon Phillips in the home goal.
The complexion of the match changed four minutes after the break however as Mikhail Kennedy levelled for the hosts with a close range finish.
Both sides had chances to take all three points but they had to settle for a draw before doing it all again on Friday at Jersey Road as The Addicks travel to West London for the return fixture.
The hosts could have taken the lead inside 60 seconds as Levander Pyke beat Mark Smith to the ball outside his box but when he squared to Karlan Aherne-Grant Gradi Milenge got in the way to block and then Daniel O’Shaughnessy put the ball behind.
After that however it was all Brentford.
With James Ferry biting into tackles in the midfield and the Brentford press not allowing the hosts any time on the ball The Bees were able to win the ball back high-up the pitch and break at pace toward the home goal.
The reward for that pressing game came after eight minutes as Aaron Greene and Kyjuon Marsh-Brown forced Terell Thomas into an error and when Tyrell Miller-Rodney squared Westbrooke opened his body up well to steer a low shot into the bottom corner.
The lead should have been doubled seven minutes later as Tom Field won the ball back on the half-way line and released Marsh-Brown but the winger curled wide from 10 yards with only Phillips to beat.
Westbrooke saw a regulation shot saved by Phillips before the Charlton stopper pulled off a fantastic instinctive save to deny Greene on the volley at the back post.
By now The Bees were in total command and penning Charlton back onto the edge of their own box.
Lee Carsley’s side were enjoying long periods of patient possession football and when the hosts did win it back Aherne-Grant was completely isolated against the pairing of Milenge and O’Shaughnessy.
Marsh-Brown and Josh Laurent both shot tamely at Phillips from the edge of the box before a fierce Miller-Rodney drive was parried away by the home goalkeeper.
The only thing Brentford’s first-half showing was lacking was goals but it wasn’t for a want of efforts on target.
Miller-Rodney shot straight at Phillips from the edge of the box and, when the hosts backed off, O’Shaughnessy let fly from 35 yards but again Phillips was equal to the effort.
The Bees almost grabbed a second just before the break as Laurent picked up Mikhail Kennedy’s loose pass but Phillips produced a brilliant flying save to tip his fierce drive over the bar.
Going into the break only the one goal ahead Brentford needed to start off the second-half at the same intensity as they ended the first, however they were slow out of the blocks and were punished.
Smith had already made a good block save to deny Aherne-Grant but the ball was worked back out to Archie Edwards who whipped in a wicked low ball that Kennedy deflected back across Smith who could only watch it trickle into the far corner.
Josh Staunton headed wide at the back post from a corner while at the other end Phillips made an unconvincing save to keep out a low rasping drive from Josh Clarke.
Kennedy was denied his second as his powerful shot was beaten away by Smith and then Pyke slammed the rebound wide from 30 yards.
With the temperature reaching the mid-20s both sides made changes around the hour mark to freshen things up with Iancarlo Poveda and Jeremiah Kamanzi coming up for The Bees.
Rhys Browne was introduced for the hosts and he got involved in the action straight away, pulling a shot wide from the edge of the box and then seeing a well-struck effort turned over the bar by Smith.
As the weather and the big pitch began to take its toll the speed of the game decreased as the second-half wore on however both sides had chances to grab all three points in the dying minutes.
A quick Brentford break found Poveda on the right and when his cross was cleared Greene shot over from the edge of the box.
The hosts had a glorious chance to win it in the last minute as Aherne-Grant beat Clarke to the byline but his fizzed cutback hit Kennedy and flew just wide.
Browne volleyed wide of Smith’s near post and then in the dying seconds Aherne-Grant shot straight at Smith as The Bees rather hung on for a point in the end.
: Dillon Phillips; Levander Pyke, Josh Staunton, Terrell Thomas, Archie Edwards; Jack Munns (sub Anthonee Dijilsteel 56 mins), Regan Charles-Cook, Kieran Monlouis, Mikhail Kennedy; Karlan Aherne-Grant, Austin Lipman (sub Rhys Browne 63 mins)
: Dimitar Mitov, Kurtis Cumberbatch, JP Rylah
: Mark Smith; Josh Clarke, Gradi Milenge, Daniel O'Shaughnessy, Tom Field; Josh Laurent, James Ferry (sub Reece Cole 83 mins); Kyjuon Marsh-Brown (sub Jeremiah Kamanzi 63 mins), Zain Westbrooke (sub Iancarlo Poveda 63 mins), Aaron Greene; Tyrell Miller-Rodney
: Herson Rodrigues Alves
: Gradi Milenge 59