Play-off heartache for Bees at Wembley

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Brentford 1 Yeovil 2

Brentford’s season ended in despair at Wembley as they were beaten in the League One play-off final.

The Bees have never been promoted via the play-offs and the curse struck for a remarkable seventh time – despite them having the majority of possession.

They got off to a disastrous start, with Paddy Madden rifling Yeovil ahead on six minutes before Dan Burn doubled the advantage with a header just before the break.

Harlee Dean’s headed goal six minutes after the interval set up a tense second half, but Yeovil keeper Mrek Stech made a string of crucial saves to seal the Glovers’ historic promotion to the second tier for the first time.

For all the hurdles that Brentford had cleared and dramatic turns that their promotion hopes had taken in the lead up to the final, their failure to launch in the first half proved to be one twist too many to overcome.

Unfortunately for Shaleum Logan he found himself at the end of everything that Yeovil threw at the Bees.

First, Sam Foley’s effort rebounded off the right-back and into Madden’s path on the edge of the area, where the League One golden boot winner sent a curling effort past Simon Moore with the outside of his foot.

And when Burn rose at the back post to meet Ed Epson’s 42nd-minute corner, beating Moore with a strong downward header from six yards, Logan was a fraction too late with his attempt sweep the ball off the line.

Brentford’s only threat of note in the opening period come deep into added time, as Marcello Trotta directed a harmless header into the hands of Stech.

The west London side’s hopes were revived on 51 minutes when Dean found himself unmarked 12 yards out to crash home a stooping header from Adam Forshaw’s corner.

Clayton Donaldson came close to levelling with a header, forcing Stech into an outstretched save which only went as far as substitute Bradley Wright-Phillips, who was unable to add the finishing touch.

Uwe Rosler’s men continued to push forward relentlessly in search an equaliser, and Forshaw should have done better when he raced into the box only to shoot straight at Stech.

Wright-Phillips showed brilliant control to pull a volleyed shot around his body on 83 minutes, but again Stech saved.

Brentford: Moore, Logan, Craig, Dean, Bidwell, Forshaw, Adeyemi, Diagouraga (Hayes 83), Donaldson, Forrester (Saunders 67), Trotta (Wright-Phillips 62)
Subs not used: Gounet, O’Connor, Hodson, Douglas.

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