AEK Athens Youth 2 Brentford U18s 3: Kasujja and Nwosu lead Bees to second win in Greece | OneFootball

Brentford Under-18s rounded out their time in Greece with a 3-2 win over AEK Athens Youth on Thursday afternoon.

After the young Bees went 2-0 up early in the clash at Municipal Stadium of Spata behind goals from Jovan Kasujja and trialist, the hosts responded to equalise late in the second half. It was short-lived excitement for Athens, however, as Jai Nwosu scored his second-straight match-winner just before full-time.

Following on from their 2-1 win over Panathinaikos on Tuesday, the west Londoners wasted little time in putting Athens under pressure and were rewarded with a goal inside the opening minute. From the kick-off, Jacob Hanson was played through the backline by trialist, before crossing to Kasujja in the box who finished well from close range to make it 1-0.

Four minutes later the lead was doubled, this time through trialist. Receiving the ball from Hanson outside the box, the winger took a touch to his left before firing a powerful left-foot strike into the right side of the net.

After a frenetic start to the clash the game eased into a steady rhythm, with both sides enjoying time on the ball without threatening in attack.

Gary McDermott’s side were finding space across the pitch and moving the ball brilliantly. Their connection almost brought a third goal on 23 minutes as Reuben Lawal enjoyed a long run down the left side and into the box, however his shot was kept out by Athens goalkeeper Kostas Ioakimeidis.

Hanson was at it again in connecting with Kasujja as the half-hour mark ticked over. Beating his man in the midfield with a smart flick over his body, Hanson played through to Kasujja who was able to beat his defender to the ball and push into the box, however his shot skimmed across the face of goal and just wide of the left post.

Despite struggling to put Brentford’s backline under pressure across the opening 40 minutes, Athens finished the first half strongly and took a wave of momentum into the second half. It started with a dangerous cross from the left side, the ball falling off the pack to Orlando Chrysis who put his effort over the bar.

He didn’t have to wait long for redemption though, as he intercepted a loose Brentford pass from the ensuing goal kick and put the ball past Felix Lyon in goal for the Bees.

Out of the break it was Chrysis causing problems again for Brentford. After fighting off Staitham Bowen, the Athens no.10 fired at goal, the ball taking a deflection off Josh Oladapo-Gamu and heading high towards goal. Tracking the ball as he back peddled, Lyon did well to tip the ball away to safety.

Despite the west Londoners enjoying time on the ball it was Athens who continued to have goalscoring chances. On 54 minutes Akilas Zoulias found space in the box as he turned to his left before firing at goal, however his strike was inches high of the top left corner and out for a goal kick.

On the hour mark it was Hanson again putting in a brilliant ball, this time from a left side corner. Kasujja met the ball inside the box and looked to head it home, but it fell off an Athens defender to Lawal who sent a strike goalward, but it was blocked by the hosts’ backline and cleared.

With fresh legs the Bees looked to put the game to bed with 25 minutes to play. On 78 minutes Hanson’s cross from a free-kick fell off the pack to Ibrahim Serme who fired at goal off the half-volley, the ball cannoning into the right post before being cleared.

Down the other end the hosts went one better and found an equaliser, substitute Panagiotis Arnaoutis putting the ball into the bottom left corner.

Leon Al Nasasibi looked to put the hosts ahead as they won the back back near the half way line, but his attempt to lob Brentford goalkeeper Layton Nicholls was unsuccessful, the ball sailing over the bar.

With the game entering the final 10 minutes both sides were pushing for a late winner. The Bees almost got it through Hanson as he ran onto Michael McSorley’s cut back and fired at goal, but it was well kept out by Ioakimeidis.

McSorley's presence on the pitch was a welcomed one, the B team forward returning from a long stint on the sidelines due to injury.

Substitute Nwosu came inches from scoring just minutes later as he found space inside the box, however his effort went wide of the goal.

He had his redemption three minutes later, however, as he calmly slotted the ball into the bottom left corner, scoring the matchwinner for a second-consecutive game.

AEK Athens Youth: Ioakimeidis, Arvanitakis, Kappatos, Saltoriadis, Theodosiou, Martopoulos, Smiliatic, Asproudis, Zoulias, Yianni Chrysis, Tambakos

Subs: Al Nasasibi, Ismailos, Katsavos, Ioannou, Papakostas, Adamos, Arnaoutis, Katsoudas

Booked: Al Nasasibi 71

Brentford U18s: Lyon (Nicholls 61), Trimboli (Goppy 61), Ogungbemi, Oladapo-Gamu (Golding 61), Bowen (Biggs 73), Cohalan (Serme 73), Trialist (Nwosu 73), Hanson, Kasujja (McSorley 61), Y. Ouattara (Bansoodeb 61), Lawal (Fanoiki 61)

Booked: Trimboli 11