Brentford began their 2023/24 pre-season campaign with a 1-1 draw against Boreham Wood.

Halil Dervisoglu’s close-range finish was the least the Bees deserved following a dominant opening to the game, but the hosts gained a foothold after the break against a much-changed Brentford side and levelled through Timmy Abraham midway through the second period.

Brentford carved out the game’s first chance with two minutes on the clock. Henry darted up the left flank and played the ball inside to Keane Lewis-Potter, who teed up Paris Maghoma on the edge of the 18-yard box. The midfielder’s well-struck effort was parried by Nathan Ashmore in the Boreham Wood goal and Dervisoglu blazed over on the rebound from six yards.

The Bees continued to push for an opener, moving the ball through the thirds with pace and purpose. On 11 minutes, Lewis-Potter skipped past David Stephens to work some space in the area and took aim for the bottom corner from 10 yards. Ashmore pushed the ball to his left and Olakigbe was quickest to react, setting himself with his knee and firing over the bar on the volley.

Thomas Frank’s side were in front eight minutes later and it was a goal of Henry’s making. On a trademark foray up the left flank, the full-back took Ethan Pinnock’s diagonal ball in his stride - leaving David Agbontohma in his wake – and fizzed in a low cross from the byline which was turned home by Dervisoglu.

Brentford came close to doubling their advantage on 24 minutes. The lively Lewis-Potter cut in from the left touchline, beat two defenders and saw his effort from a central position pushed away by Ashmore into the path of Yehor Yarmoliuk, who lifted over from a tight angle.

The hosts should have levelled a minute later, Lee Ndlovu dragging wide of Ellery Balcombe’s left post with the Brentford keeper on the floor having dropped down to block the striker’s initial attempt.

Henry almost got himself on the scoresheet five minutes before the break, receiving a short pass from Yarmoliuk and pulling the trigger from 30 yards. The ball looked destined for the top corner but dipped the wrong side of the crossbar.

Olakigbe was the only Brentford player to reappear after the interval and Boreham Wood grew into the game against a much-changed Bees side.

Seven minutes after the restart, one of the hosts’ trialists saw his shot fly across the face of goal via a deflection. Chris Bush – rising above the crowd to nod the resulting corner towards goal – forced Matt Cox into smart stop, with the ball eventually hacked away by a Brentford defender inside a crowded six-yard box.

Abraham then dipped a long-range effort over the bar as last season’s National League play-off semi-finalists continued to probe for an equaliser.

And Boreham Wood and Abraham weren’t to be denied. On 68 minutes, the hosts’ left-back advanced down the wing and floated a cross towards the back post. Abraham’s impressive first touch presented him with space for a shot and he made no mistake in firing beyond Cox from close range.

The home side had the lion’s share of the ball during the final quarter of the game but struggled to convert possession into opportunities – Tyrone Marsh’s acrobatic attempt during the final moments the closest they came to a winner - as Brentford’s first test of pre-season ended in a draw.

Next stop Philadelphia for the Premier League Summer Series.

Brentford first half: Balcombe; Roerslev, Pinnock, Mee, Henry; Yarmoliuk, Janelt, Maghoma; Lewis-Potter, Dervisoglu, Olakigbe

Brentford second half: Cox; Crama, Kim, Bech, Farr; Baptiste, Trevitt; Yogane, Peart-Harris, Olakigbe (Brierley 70); Young-Coombes

Frank: I liked what I saw

Thomas Frank was pleased to see the hard work in training translating to the first pre-season friendly of the season against Boreham Wood.

The Bees boss said: “It was good in many ways. It’s always good to get the two 45 minutes in after we played two different teams in the two halves today.

“The lads have been working very hard over the last 10 days or so and it was great to see that out here today.

“Looking at the more experienced team in the first half, we saw a lot of things we’d worked on, trying to add layers to the offensive play, especially trying to control it a bit more but also getting more in behind.

“The goal came from one of those balls in behind, and then a nice ball under for a tap in.

“Second half we played the younger ones, lots of effort, a few changes which meant we lost control of the game a little bit, but I liked what I saw from the very young players.”

Lewis-Potter: I was buzzing to get back out there

Keane Lewis-Potter said he was ‘buzzing’ to be back playing for the Bees, nearly five months after picking up a knee injury in the Premier League.

The 22-year-old played the opening 45 minutes against Boreham Wood in the 1-1 draw, where he looked lively in the pre-season friendly at Meadow Park.

“It was great to be back out there, especially after a tough four, nearly five, months out with injury. I was buzzing to get back out there," Lewis-Potter said.

“Just being back out there with the boys was great. It was a tough time being in the physio room for all those months and over the summer as well.”

He added: “I said to the boys when I came back in that I was trying to get back used to those knocks and bruises you get from those tackles that come in!”