Gustav Mogensen and Paris Maghoma would get the goals for The Bees, and they dominated large periods of the match but some clinical finishing from the experienced Kazakhstan champions saw to it that they would fall to defeat.

It was the young Bees who would have the first chance of the match and it came inside the first minute. Aubrel Koutsimouka, deployed at left back in place of the injured Nick Tsaroulla, did fantastically to dart down the left before crossing well for Mogensen to head inches wide of goal.

But it was Astana who would get the game’s first goal in their first meaningful attack. After a corner was recycled from the right Marin Tomasov crossed well for Ramazan Karimov to head in off the crossbar to make it 1-0.

The young Bees continued to battle though, and more than held their own against the Europa League side who started the match with an average age of over 27. In fact, it was Neil MacFarlane’s side who got the next goal when the industrious Mogensen pounced on a loose header back from the Astana defence before he slotted home to make it 1-1.

Brentford B continued to look to go ahead and had a really good chance just after the half hour mark when they maintained possession really well on the edge of the box before the ball found Arthur Read, who was influential throughout, before he forced a smart save from the Astana keeper.

But the young Bees would be made to pay shortly after when Serbian international Antonio Rukavina crossed for Dorin Rotario to volley home at the far post despite the Brentford B protests for offside.

That would be the last action of the first period with the young Bees going in frustrated not to have at least been level with their opponents.

The second half was just four minutes old when the young Bees felt they should have been awarded a penalty. Kane O’Connor played a wonderful through ball into the path of Christian Tue Jensen who managed to latch onto the ball before colliding with the goalkeeper, but the referee waved away all claims for a spot kick.

A chance would then fall for Alexey Chshyotkin following a dangerous Astana corner, but his header was deflected wide. He would then have another chance from the next corner which Nathan Shepperd managed to stop from close range.

But it was Brentford who continued to control the match with their opponents sat deep as the likes of Read and substitute Maghoma continued to dictate the play. The latter played a wonderfully chipped ball into the path of David Titov, who pulled it back towards Mogensen who shot just over.

Another chance would fall for Maghoma when The Bees worked it well on the edge of the box before space opened up for the new signing whose low shot was well stopped with 15 minutes to play.

The Bees would be made to rue those missed chances as Astana made it 3-1 from a corner. A dangerous delivery found the head of Chshyotkin who’s well timed effort found Shepperd’s far corner to make it 3-1.

A key couple of minutes would follow five minutes from time when Matej Majka would have a low effort ruled out for offside before just moments later Tigran Barseghyan thumped home from the edge of the box with an excellent effort to extend their lead.

In the dying moments of the match, The Bees did narrow the margin as Maghoma netted his first for the club with a fantastic strike from the edge of the box, but the match ended 4-2 to the side from Kazakhstan.

Brentford B: Shepperd, Koutsimouka (Mitchell, 75), Read (Carre, 75), Sery Larsen, O’Connor, Majka, Trialist (Adams, 55), Tue Jensen (Maghoma, 55), Mogensen, Titov, OksanenSubs not used: Andersson

FC Astana: (First half) Nepogodov, Kashken, Mally, Logvinenko, Rukavina, Beisebkov, Pertsukh, Mayevski, Tomasov, Karimov, Rotariu

FC Astana: (Second half) Pavlov, Beisebkov, Posnikov, Tomasevic, Bystrov, Ebonh, Sigurjonsson, Shomko, Barsegyan, Chshyotkin, Zhalmukan