Match Report – Wednesday vs Brentford 21-10-20
by Jonah Manley
Brentford had never beaten a Gary Monk side away from home before last night. Last season’s 5-0 drubbing aside Wednesday are a side that the Bees have often tripped up against in their brief Championship spell.
The inclusions of Ghoddos and Janelt in the Bees’ starting line-up were early encouragements that a side stripped of last season’s prized assets might yet compete at the now-expected level, an aspiration that was born out in what proved to be a stellar performance.
One up inside 10 minutes it was that man again Ivan Toney whose alertness in the box was surpassed only by the deft manner of his finish. Credit Henrik Dalsgaard, the forward-thinking full-back saw his initial effort parried by Owls’ ‘keeper Cameron Dawson who was kept busy throughout. Indeed, Dalsgaard would go close again, a sliced shot from the edge of the box missing fractionally high and left of a stranded Dawson’s right-hand post.
In typical fashion a good Wednesday spell from that point allowed Kadeem Harris to work a yard on his right before whipping in a cross that Paterson, while not easy, would have expected to finish, and that he did. One-a-piece and Brentford had it all to do again with 20 left in the first half.
What followed was, in my opinion, the best spell of creative attacking football that Brentford have produced since the beginning of their famous run-in last season. As Toney said post-game, they might have had four. In actual fact the goal that was to come would prove sufficient to give the boys in changed grey their full share of the points. Janelt corner from the right and Ivan Toney is there again to head in. It will concern Owls fans and Monk alike at how the principal attacking threat was permitted the freedom of the six-yard box. Perhaps they were focused on the ever-dangerous Ethan Pinnock? Regardless, at this level the header was a ‘gimme for a player of Toney’s quality.
What might have been the goal of the season was denied by the feet of Dawson as Jensen was unable to convert. The move, slick as you like, began with a Raya ping out to Toney who flicked down to Mbeumo neatly, the Frenchman, otherwise quiet last night, laid it back to Ghoddos whose Toney one-two allowed him to play first time into the feet of the advancing Jensen. He needs only to start adding goals to his game if he is to be the central creator that he was expected to be.
A relatively quiet second half was punctuated only by Canos’ pullback from a clever Jensen through ball, an opportunity that Toney will rue missing, and one which leaves him on three consecutive braces without claiming a match ball. Not that Bees’ fans will hold it against him.
Two goals to one in Brentford’s favour the game ended in what will have been a highly satisfying evening for Thomas Frank’s men. Three points, Toney clear at the top of the goalscoring charts and Bees only one point outside the playoff picture with six games gone and looking in real form. Stay excited Brentford fans, there is so much more still to come from this side.