Scott Hogan came through another 75 minutes as Brentford’s Development Squad drew 0-0 with local neighbours Queens Park Rangers in the U21 Professional Development League Two South at Jersey Road this afternoon. The Bees created more than enough chances to win the match as Kyjuon Marsh-Brown and Herson Rodrigues Alves were denied one-on-one by Joe Lumley in the visitors’ goal early on. Bradley Clayton and Hogan also came close in a first-half that belonged exclusively to The Bees. The second-half was a more even contest with Ryan Manning shooting wide from close range for the visitors while Jan Holldack brought a fine save from Lumley late on.
The Bees made five changes from last week’s 3-0 defeat to Millwall with Jack Bonham, Chris Mepham and Tom Field among those coming back in. Hogan started up front in his third game back after injury with Clayton, Alves and Marsh-Brown playing as a three behind him. Pedersen’s side, still looking for their first win of 2016, attacked from the off against a Rangers’ side reeling from four defeats in their last five matches.
Hogan’s pinpoint cross was headed straight at Lumley by Clayton inside two minutes while at the other end Eusebio Bancessi volleyed over a rare early QPR attack. The Bees should have been ahead after nine minutes as Marsh-Brown dispossessed Kepkawa midway inside his half and bore down on goal but Lumley’s outstretched leg deflected the ball behind for a corner. Hogan was the next to go close as he controlled a long Bonham clearance, easily beat Leon Lobjoit only for Harly Wise to get back in to block from close range.
The chances continued to come as Alves shot tamely at Lumley after beating the Rangers offside trap and the same man should have done better again four minutes later as Tom Field’s in-swinging corner found him completely alone at the back post but he headed well off target. Lumley was by far the busier keeper in the first-half and he made another crucial save from Josh Clarke, Hogan inches away from getting on the end of Marsh-Brown’s cross from the rebound.
For all their chances in the first-half The Bees could have gone in behind at the break as Axel Prohouly led a counter-attack from a Brentford corner but, with men over spare to his right, he decided to take the selfish option and shot straight at Bonham from a tight angle. The final chance of the half dropped to Clarke, after nice work by Hogan, but the defender couldn’t keep his left footed shot down and it sailed over the bar.
The second-half saw Brentford playing against the wind and they couldn’t exert the same control over the match as they had in the first. James Ferry lost possession midway inside his own half and was thankful to see Bonham beat away Prohouly’s fierce drive. Bonham then nearly gifted Rangers an opener ten minutes into the half when a dipping cross bounced out of his grasp but Manning turned the ball wide of the post from close range.
Despite not having the same dominance Brentford were still creating chances as Clayton saw two efforts blocked away to safety by the visiting defence before Marsh-Brown also had a shot cleared. The Bees best chance of the half came with 15 minutes to play as Rodrigues Alves cleverly flicked a pass round the corner allowing top-scorer Holldack in behind but again Lumley got a strong hand behind the ball and beat the shot away. Rangers could have stolen the points at the end as Lobjoit found himself in space on the edge of the box but his shot drifted wide of Bonham’s far post as both sides had to settle for a point.
Brentford: Jack Bonham; Josh Clarke, Chris Mepham, Jan Holldack, Tom Field (sub Nathan Fox 84 mins); James Ferry, Zain Westbrooke; Kyjuon Marsh-Brown (sub Ian Carlo Poveda 60 mins), Bradley Clayton, Herson Rodrigues Alves; Scott Hogan (sub Jarvis Edobor 75 mins) Sub not used: Cameron Greaves
Queens Park Rangers: Joe Lumley; Olamide Shodipo, Harly Wise, Cole Kepkawa, Leon Lobjoit; Eusebio Bancessi (sub AJ Folkes 62 mins), Niko Hamalainen (sub Romeo Akinola 70 mins), Ryan Manning, Axel Prohouly; Reece Grego-Cox (sub Joseph N’Guessan 60 mins), Nathan Corkery Sub not used: Conor Hudnott