Josh Umerah netted an 88th minute penalty to condemn Brentford to a third straight 2-1 defeat against table-topping Charlton Athletic in the U21 Professional Development League Two South this afternoon at VCD Athletic.
The Addicks starting XI boasted six players who had featured for the first-team at The Valley this season and that showed as took the lead after 18 minutes: highly rated teenager Ademola Lookman firing home an unstoppable effort from 25 yards. However The Bees hit back through Jan Holldack’s 11th of the season to send the sides in level at the break.
It was almost all Charlton in the second period but they had to wait until two minutes from time to finally break down the resolute Brentford defence as Emmanuel Onariase tripped Brandon Hanlan in the box and Umerah stepped up to calmly slide home the winner.
With Lookman, Callum Harriot, Umerah, Regan Charles-Cook and Mikhail Kennedy popping up all along the front line it was difficult for The Bees back line to know who to pick up in the early stages. Clever play by Harriot saw him jink into the box and tee up Umerah who fired wide with the aid of a deflection. Harriot himself was denied by a brave block by Chris Mepham as Charlton dominated possession and territory in the early stages.
That pressure eventually told as The Bees failed to clear their lines from a corner and, when the ball dropped to Lookman on the edge of the box, the 18-year-old took one touch to get the ball out of his feet and a second to send it flying past Jack Bonham and into the top corner. The home side couldn’t build on that advantage however and as the half wore on in the cold wintry sunshine it was Brentford who began to get a foothold in the game.
With the central three of Zain Westbrooke, Reece Cole and Holldack seeing more of the ball The Bees were able to ask questions of The Addicks backline without creating too much in the way of chances. Indeed they could have fallen further behind but Bonham was equal to Kennedy’s header from a teasing Umerah cross on the half-hour.
However a minute later, and with their first chance of the half, Brentford found themselves level. A deep corner travelled all the way through to Birse and his powerful header seemed to take Mitov by surprise as he palmed it straight into the path of Holldack to smash home from close range. It could have got even better four minutes later as Holldack’s diagonal ball allowed Herson Rodrigues Alves in behind, Cole’s low drive from his cutback flying narrowly the wrong side of the post.
Charlton, who had not lost in regulation time in their last 18 matches in all competitions, ended the half strongly and had chances to take a lead into the break. Mepham made a vital block to deny Kennedy who had run in behind and then, in injury time, Umerah dragged a shot across the face of goal from 15 yards.
Neither side made changes at the break and the opening to the second-half was as scrappy as the first. It took ten minutes for the first effort on goal from either side and when it came Holldack whipped a left-footed effort over from 20 yards. Harriott then came close for the hosts, striking the top of the bar, after cutting inside from the right and shooting from 25 yards.
17-year-old Birse was making his first start for the Development Squad and he nearly added to a fine debut with a goal as his long-range shot was deflected behind and then from the resulting corner he headed over from eight yards. The Addicks made a triple change on the hour with former Bee Montell Moore one of the players coming on. Another replacement Joe Aribo had a golden chance to make it 2-1 eight minutes later but his shot from ten years was tame and straight at Bonham.
Bonham again came to The Bees rescue with a quarter of an hour to play as he made himself big to block from Umerah at close range before Charles-Cook skewed the rebound well wide. Onariase got a vital block in on Aribo, Terrell Thomas glanced a header wide and Moore went for an ambitious long-range effort that floated into the gloves of Bonham as The Addicks turned the screw.
Just as it looked like The Bees would be returning around the M25 with a point Brandon Hanlan’s burst into the box was ended by a stray leg from Onariase and the referee had no hesitation in pointing to the spot: Umerah coolly sending Bonham the wrong way from 12 yards. The hosts could have made it more comfortable in injury-time but Hanlan dragged his shot across the face of goal and wide when in behind.
Charlton Athletic: Dimitar Mitov; Ezri Konsa, Ayo Obileye, Terell Thomas, Tareiq Holmes-Dennis; Regan Charles-Cook, Anfernee Dijksteel, Ademola Lookman (sub Montell Moore 62 mins), Callum Harriott (sub Brandon Hanlan 62 mins); Mikhail Kennedy (sub Joe Aribo 62 mins), Josh Umerah
Subs not used: Archie Edwards, Jordan Beeney
Brentford: Jack Bonham; Zach Birse, Chris Mepham, Emmanuel Onariase, Tom Field; Zain Westbrooke, Reece Cole (sub Julius Fenn-Evans 78 mins), Jan Holldack; Kyjuon Marsh-Brown (sub Gradi Milenge 81 mins), Bradley Clayton, Herson Rodrigues Alves (sub Danny Parish 73 mins)
Sub not used: Nik Tzanev