A fine individual goal from Charlie Adams helped Brentford’s Development Squad to a win over Bristol City.
The Bees scored two first half goals and shut out anything the Championship side had to offer as they picked up a 2-0 win in the Professional Development League Two South match.
The home side dominated in midfield, with Adams and Jake Reeves at the heart of the action, and went ahead in the 18h minute thanks to a comical Curtis Jones own goal.
The Bees then expanded their play, opening their visitors up and creating chances.
Adams put one of those away just before the break and although City changed both shape and personnel at half time, there was no way back.
The visitors had the first decent chance of the match – Antoine Gounet saving well from Lewis Hall – and looked dangerous in the early stages.
Kevin Krans shot over the top after Tom King found space and a Bobby Reid cross from a short corner clipped the crossbar.
Brentford had shown signs of being able to open City up.
The visitors were playing three central defenders and a defensive midfield player with their wing backs high up and that left space on the flanks.
The Bees utilised that space in the first 15 minutes without creating a chance and did so again when they went ahead.
Stuart Dallas’ pass released trialist Jack Powell, the central midfield player fired across goal and Lewis Carey palmed it against Jones, the central defender got his legs in a tangle and bundled the ball over his own line.
It completed an unwanted double for the hapless defender, who also scored an own goal when the two sides met at Ashton Gate in September.
Gounet made a good low save from Lewis Hall but Brentford took control after the goal and played some fine football.
Powell had a shot blocked and Antonio German shot wide after being found by the livewire Adams.
German and Dallas had shot blocked as Brentford repeatedly found space in the channels and Alfie Mawson shot over before Leon Redwood forced goalkeeper Carey in to a low save.
Adams had a shot blocked and then wasted a great chance when he shot wide from ten yards after German and Dallas had combined.
The ball appeared to bobble in front of Adams but the attacking midfield player looked as if he knew he should have scored.
Gounet palmed away a fierce Reid shot and Jones headed over but Brentford doubled their lead just before half time.
City backed off as Adams ran with the ball and the Brentford man slalomed in to the penalty area before slotting home from 15 yards.
Mawson headed a corner wide seconds before the interval and the break gave City a chance to re-groups.
They brought on midfield player Jason Dobbs and switched to a back four as their starting system was ditched.
They started the second half on the front foot, attempting to salvage something from the game.
Gounet denied Reid early on, after good work by Luke Dobie, and Karns smashed the loose ball over the bar.
The Brentford goalkeeper denied Reid again after a poor header from Sam Griffiths almost let City in and Mawson sliced a cross narrowly over his own crossbar.
But Brentford weathered the storm and City never really looked like coming back in the game.
The second half was more even than the first, with the midfields cancelling each other out to a large degree.
Griffiths couldn’t force home a cross from trialist Roni Porokara early on and Adams and Reeves came close with curling free kicks.
Mawson had a shot blocked and then failed to make a decent contact when a corner was half cleared – Aaron Pierre’s follow-up was saved by Carey.
German had appeals for a penalty waved away after he had robbed Dobie, burst in to the penalty area and then tumbled as the City man tried to recover before Tyrell Miller-Rodney pulled a shot wide.
Hall shot wide for City and German did likewise for Brentford after Redwood burst in to the box before Gounet saved from Dobie.
German had a shot blocked after Josh Clarke raced down the right and Gounet denied Hall in the dying seconds as Brentford took the points.
Brentford Development Squad: Antoine Gounet; Sam Griffiths, Alfie Mawson, Aaron Pierre, Leon Redwood; Jake Reeves, Jack Powell; Stuart Dallas (sub Josh Clarke 62 mins), Charlie Adams, Roni Porokara (sub Tyrell Miller-Rodney 81 mins); Antonio German
Subs (not used): Joe Taylor, Lionel Stone, George Pilbeam
Bristol City Development Squad: Lewis Carey; Curtis Jones, Matthew Bates, Kener Lee (sub Jason Dobbs h/t); Nathan Battersby, James Ashton (sub Miles John 74 mins), Tom King; Luke Dobie (sub Jack Batten 90 mins), Bobby Reid, Lewis Hall; Kevin Krans
Subs (not used): Dylan Castanhiera, Chris Abbott
By Chris Wickham