Injury-hit Brentford bounce back with vital win
Bryan Mbeumo and Saman Ghoddos each scored one goal and made another as Brentford ended their three-match losing run by securing a vital win.
Mbeumo, starting the game up front because of injuries to Ivan Toney and Marcus Forss, diverted in a Sergi Canos shot with his head from close range, after a long throw by Mads Bech Sorensen. He then played a pinpoint pass to set up Saman Ghoddos to fire in the second.
It was Ghoddos who delivered a free-kick which was headed home by stand-in left-back Mads Bech Sorensen to make the game safe.
The Bees should have won by more with Ghoddos and Mbeumo both missing chances, and were much better than in Saturday’s defeat at Coventry. They were crisper in the tackle, and just generally more lively than at the weekend.
The victory moves Brentford on to 60 points and sees them stay in second place, ahead of Watford on goal difference.
This was a win desperately needed by the Bees, who only a fortnight ago went top of the table by winning 3-1 at Reading and extending their record unbeaten Championship run to 21 games. Since then though, the wheels had fallen off a little bit with three successive defeats and the loss of star left-back Rico Henry to injury for two months.
At least there was the welcome sight of Ivan Toney, expected to be out for three or four games, back on the bench and then coming on during the second half.
Wednesday started well and David Raya had to save a fierce early shot from Barry Bannan, but the Bees keeper was barely troubled after that.
Mbeumo had already volleyed over the bar when he was in the right place to open the scoring after Winston Reid and Ethan Pinnock had caused the defence problems from Sorensen’s huge throw and Canos had tried to score himself.
Ghoddos drove past the far post when well placed in the 53rd minute, but made up for that when he coolly slotted in the crucial second, to ease the nerves, after Mbeumo’s excellent pass.
Ghoddos then returned the favour to Mbeumo, but he slightly delayed his shot and Joe Wildsmith was able to save.
But Sorensen completed the scoring, with his first Championship goal, as his header from Ghoddos’s right-wing free-kick went in off the inside of the far post as Brentford kept their first Championship clean sheet in nine games.
Brentford: Raya, Dalsgaard (Roerslev 85), Sorensen, Reid, Pinnock, Janelt, Ghoddos (Zamburek 85), Jensen, Canos (Toney 66), Fosu (Dasilva 75), Mbeumo (Marcondes 85).
