Jan Holldack’s double wasn’t enough to see Brentford’s Development Squad end their home season on a winning note as Crewe Alexandra fought back from 3-1 down to draw 3-3 at Griffin Park this afternoon. The Bees final home game of the season was one to savour as both sides threw caution to the wind and the chances flowed at both ends. Holldack fired Flemming Pedersen’s side ahead only for George Cooper to capitalise on a poor kick-out by Charlie Albinson to draw Crewe level midway through the first-half. Bradley Clayton gave Josh Bohui his second assist of the afternoon as he swept home from close range, and when Bohui set up Holldack for his second midway through the second-half it looked like the points would be Brentford’s. However Toby Mullarkey’s looping header from an Oliver Finney free-kick made it 3-2 with 20 minutes to play and the roles were reversed 11 minutes later to draw The Railwaymen level, Finney volleying home as Mullarkey attacked a deep corner.
As with recent weeks it was a young XI put out by Flemming Pedersen, scholars Josh Bohui and Chris Mepham starting and only Andy Gogia boasting first-team experience in The Bees line-up. Against an equally young Alexandra side The Bees started brightly. Clayton went close inside the opening ten minutes, lofting his effort narrowly wide of Dave Richards’ near post after Matthew Neal failed to deal with a long ball, and seven minutes later Brentford went ahead. Holldack played in Bohui down the left-hand side, the German continuing his run to perfectly meet Bohui’s cutback and slam home from 15 yards.
Brentford had dominated the opening stages but the goal seemed to galvanise the visiting side who responded well to going behind. Cooper, playing in an advanced midfield role, began to see more of the ball and it was he who levelled after 25 minutes as Albinson’s poor kick-off was slid in low by Liam O’Neill and Cooper fired home from 15 yards. Crewe enjoyed a good spell following the goal but slowly Brentford began to re-establish control over the match. Holldack’s give and go with Gogia saw the 19-year-old German strike the post from 25 yards, Bohui hitting the follow up into the side netting. Six minutes before the break The Bees went back ahead with almost a carbon copy of the first goal. Field battled well to win the ball back and feed Bohui who pulled the ball back for Clayton this time to sidefoot home.
Pedersen’s side began the second-half desperate, it seemed, to put the game to bed, and they created enough chances to do that in a frantic opening few minutes. Richards denied Bohui with a fine low save, Clayton turning home the rebound from an offside position, before the Crewe goalkeeper again proved a match for the young winger’s effort, this time beating away his shot from 12 yards. At the other end O’Neill wasted a fine chance to level as he was released by Saunders but he could only slice his shot behind for a goal kick. Zain Westbrooke thought he had put The Bees 3-1 ahead five minutes into the half but his close range effort was miraculously kept out by the covering defender Mullarkey.
As the second-half wore on there was no let up in either the rain or the chances. Gogia shot over from 20 yards after dispossessing Callum Ainley while Albinson made a crucial block save as O’Neill again found himself in one-on-one. Gogia came even closer on the hour as his curling shot beat Richards but rebounded off the post and away to safety. Substitute Reece Cole pulled a shot wide before, with 20 minutes to play, Brentford finally looked to have put the game to bed. Again Field and Bohui combined down the left and the England Under-17 international pulled back from the byline for Holldack to crash home from close range.
The two goal cushion lasted all of two minutes as Finney floated in a free-kick and Mullarkey rose highest to loop home a header from 12 yards. The simple nature of the goal wouldn't have pleased Pedersen and he would have been equally unimpressed as Crewe found a leveller nine minutes later. This time Mullarkey caused confusion in The Bees backline from a corner allowing Finney time to take a touch and volley home from the edge of the box. Neither side had much to play for in terms of league position but both sensed that they could get a winner.
Kyjuon Marsh-Brown was the next to be thwarted by Richards with James Ferry then dragging an effort wide. Chris Mepham’s header failed to find the target from close range and Holldack shot over. The Bees continued to create chances into injury time: Cole seeing an effort blocked behind for a corner and then, as Clayton seemed poised to score, Tom Lowery produced a vital challenge to deny the Brentford striker and earn his side a point.
Brentford: Charlie Albinson; Nathan Fox, Jarvis Edobor, Chris Mepham, Tom Field; James Ferry, Jan Holldack; Andy Gogia (sub Kyjuon Marsh-Brown 74 mins), Zain Westbrooke (sub Reece Cole 64 mins), Josh Bohui (sub Herson Alves 84 mins); Bradley Clayton Subs not used: Cameron Greaves
Crewe Alexandra: Dave Richards; Jamie Morgan, Toby Mullarkey, Matthew Neal (sub Oliver Finney 46 mins), Harry Pickering; Joe Howell, Callum Ainley (sub Owen Dale 70 mins); Tom Lowery, George Cooper, Liam O’Neill; Callum Saunders (sub Andre Brown 70 mins)
Subs not used: Jake Hilton