Brentford’s run in the Carabao Cup was ended by Gillingham, with the Gills emerging victorious 6-5 on penalties following a 1-1 draw in normal time.

Ivan Toney gave Brentford the perfect start with a goal inside three minutes against the Sky Bet League Two side but for all the Bees’ domination they couldn’t find a second against a well-organised Gillingham outfit.

And with 15 minutes to play, the away side struck with their only shot of the night; substitute Mikael Mandron heading home Alex MacDonald’s teasing cross.

The Gills withstood late pressure to take the game to spot kicks. The first 11 were all scored before Mikkel Damsgaard saw his effort rebound off the bar to spark wild scenes of celebration in the away end.

The teams

Gillingham made two changes from their Emirates FA Cup first round draw at AFC Flyde on Saturday: Shaun Williams and Jordan Green replaced Alex MacDonald and Mikael Mandron.

Thomas Frank spoke about naming a strong line-up before the match and he was true to his word.

Christian Norgaard returned as captain, his first outing since late August, with Toney also starting after his weekend suspension.

Brentford: Raya; Roerslev (Mbeumo 81), Zanka, Pinnock, Henry (Jensen 60); Nørgaard (Dasilva 46), Onyeka (Yarmoliuk 71), Damsgaard; Ghoddos, Lewis-Potter, Toney

Subs not used: Cox, Mee, Crama, Trevitt, Gilbert

Gillingham: Turner; McKenzie, Wright, Baggott, Law; O’Keefe, Williams (Alexander 65), Jefferies (Kashket 90+3); Green (MacDonald 74), Adelakun, Walker (Mandron 65)

Subs not used: Morris, Akehurst, Gbode

Attendance: 16,278

First half

It took less than three minutes for Brentford to breach the Gillingham backline.

After a Bees corner was cleared back to David Raya, Damsgaard stole in behind the Gills backline, took down the goalkeeper’s long ball perfectly and unselfishly squared it for Toney to roll into an empty net.

To their credit, Gillingham didn’t let that early setback affect them.

They stuck to their gameplan, allowing Brentford plenty of possession but keeping Jake Turner well protected.

With Hakeeb Adelakun and Jordan Green often dropping in as extra full-backs, to counter the threat of Rico Henry and Saman Ghoddos, and their midfield three sitting deep, the Bees had to remain patient in possession and wait for the opportunity to open up.

A dinked Damsgaard free-kick caught the away side napping but Norgaard couldn’t make enough connection on the volley to beat Turner.

Toney then tried to turn provider for Damsgaard but Elkan Baggott tracked his man well and made a crucial covering challenge on the edge of the six-yard box.

Damsgaard, who was announced in the Denmark World Cup squad on Monday, was at the heart of the action and almost scored a outrageous second on the half-hour mark. Frank Onyeka curled in a cross from the left that Damsgaard met with a flying backheel on the penalty spot but the ball skimmed inches wide of the post.

As their sole outlet, Lewis Walker was being asked to do a lot of hold-up play, a job he was able to do with increasing success as the half went on.

Indeed, the final 15 minutes saw Gillingham begin to get a foothold in the game, without troubling Raya’s goal, however.

The final chance of the opening 45 fell to the Bees. Damsgaard sent a teasing ball into the far post, Toney couldn’t force it home past Turner and then Ghoddos nodded the looping ball off angle of post and bar.

Second half

Norgaard was withdrawn as planned at the interval, Josh Dasilva coming on, with Brentford continuing to make the running.

Keane Lewis-Potter’s shot was half blocked and Turner collected before the Gillingham ‘keeper then claimed Mads Roerslev’s cross-shot.

The clearest sight of goal that Thomas Frank’s side created fell to Toney but he pulled his shot across goal and narrowly wide following a driving Dasilva run.

Still well in touch with 20 minutes to play, Neil Harris brought attacking reinforcements off the bench and all three of them combined for Gillingham’s equaliser.

A deep free-kick was kept in play by Cheye Alexander down by the touchline. He laid it off for MacDonald who whipped in a delightful cross that Mandron powered past Raya at the near post.

With something to hold on to, Gillingham dropped back into their defensive shape, aiming to weather the Brentford storm. Yehor Yarmoliuk had come on for his debut and it was his cross that Damsgaard met only to find Turner in the way again.

Bryan Mbeumo was the next to be frustrated when he headed Mathias Jensen’s cross back across goal, but nobody was able to turn home before Gillingham cleared their lines.

As the clock ticked over 90, Brentford had one final chance to win the game in normal time, but Turner somehow kept out Ethan Pinnock’s header with his trailing leg.

Penalties

And so it moved on to penalties.

Toney, Ghoddos, Dasilva, Mbeumo and Jensen were all clinical from 12 yards to match Gillingham’s first five takers.

However, the fine margins were on display with the sixth pair of penalties. Whereas MacDonald’s hit the bar and bounced down into the back of the net, Damsgaard’s came back off the bar and out, ending our run in this season’s competition.

Reaction: Thomas Frank

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Reaction: Christian Norgaard

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