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Carlisle Grounds
30 Apr 2024

Match Report from the

Over 1,000 spectators flocked to the Carlisle Grounds on Tuesday evening as a young Brentford side full of talent put an experimental Bray Wanderers side to the sword.

The Premier League outfit took the lead before the break and added two more strikes in the second period on a comfortable evening’s work for Neil MacFarlane’s charges.

Ex-Bray man Conor McManus – now with Brentford – was one of the star attractions and almost got the full 90 minutes as he and his team-mates showed plenty of potential.

They may be unknowns currently, but these Brentford players hope to be the stars of tomorrow. They came close to opening the scoring when Owen’s free kick from the left was met by a flicked header from Urinboev but it sailed narrowly wide. Urinboev is the first Uzbekistan player to ever sign for a Premier League club making him something of a hero back home.

Brentford thought they had hit the front on 20 minutes. Urinboev slipped Morgan in nicely and his clipped finish may have been heading in but Lisbie wanted to sure, so he tapped it in only to be flagged for offside.

The one thing Ian Ryan did not want to see on Tuesday evening was injuries to any of his players so the sight of his captain Kilian Cantwell departing play after just 22 minutes will not have pleased him in the slightest.

A clever free kick routine from Brentford almost carved Bray open on 30 minutes. As they swung from one wing to the other before delivering the cross, Bray were badly outnumbered around the six-yard box but Jamie Duggan was on hand to clear away the danger.

Another free kick moments later saw Urinboev smuggle his delivery low towards the near post and Wariuh met in but screwed his effort over the crossbar.

Yogane spurned their next opportunity. He was found in the area by Hay, and he toyed with Leon Ajala before unleashing a strike that flew over.

The visitors got their reward for their pressure just before the interval. Hay’s cross from the right was on the money and right on the forehead of Iwan Morgan who planted a header into the top corner.

The half-time interval was sounded like one of William Shakespeare’s plays was being acted out with the crowd constantly crying out “Romeo” every time young Mr. Beckham touched the ball during his warm-up.

Ryan made three changes at the break as Harry Groome, Cristian Magerusan and Kieran Cruise were all called ashore to keep their legs fresh for more important battles ahead.

Brentford continued their flex their muscles in the second period. After a brilliant cross-field pass – and a sublime first-time cushioned pass – the goal that Lisbie so desperately craved continued to avoid him as his ferociously struck shot ended up closer to the beach than the back of the net.

Hay then showed incredible pace as he barnstormed forward from inside his own half – screeching past poor Paul Murphy – before squaring for a team-mate who was denied by an excellent save from the feet of Ben Clark.

Clarke displayed his quick reflexes again on 64 minutes as he repelled a Dixon effort from close-range, but the shot-stopper was powerless to prevent Morgan from tapping in his second from the rebound.

Conor McManus was withdrawn as the clock ticked down and understandably got a hero’s farewell from all sides of the ground.

The crowd also got their wish just after the hour mark as Romeo Beckham was introduced but he didn’t get many opportunities to show what he is capable of during his 28 minutes on the pitch.

The Bees would wrap things up on 87 minutes as Ethan Laidlaw rolled the ball into the empty net as Clarke once again made a fine initial save before having to watch on helplessly as the striker gobbled up the second effort.

Daniel Gorman

Bray Wanderers: 35 Benjamin Clark; 33 Leon Ajala, 4 Kilian Cantwell (c), 12 Jamie Duggan, 15 Zach Nolan; 6 Guillermo Almirall, 8 Harry Groome; 26 Conor Knight, 28 Rhys Knight, 31 Kieran Cruise; 9 Cristian Magerusan
Subs: 3 Evan Osam (for Murphy 62), 7 Darren Craven (for Groome H/T), 16 Paul Murphy (for Cantwell 22), 17 Thomas Morgan (for Cruise H/T), 18 Peter Grogan (for Magerusan H/T), 25 Stephen McGuinness (gk), 29 Luke Smith (for R Knight 62), 30 Billy O’Neill (for Almirall 62), 32 Philip Cooney (for C Knight 62)
Brentford: 1 Vincent Angelini; 2 Kyreece Lisbie, 4 Daniel Oyegoke, 5 Benjamin Arthur, 3 Conor McManus; 8 Angel Waruih, 10 Riley Owen, 12 Mukhammadali Urinboev; 7 Ashley Hay, 9 Iwan Morgan , 25 Tony Yogane
Subs: 14 Ethan Laidlaw (for Urinboev 62) , 15 Max Dickov (for Yogane 62), 16 Chanse Headman (for McManus 82), 19 Romeo Beckham (for Lisbie 62), 20 Beaux Booth (for I Morgan 82), 24 Isaac Holland (for Hay 62), 31 Reggie Rose (for Angelini H/T)
Referee: Aaron O’Dowd