Brentford U21s 6 Fleetwood Town U21s 1: Ethan Laidlaw scores hat-trick and Reiss Nelson strikes, as Keane Lewis-Potter also features | OneFootball

Brentford Under-21s cruised to a 6-1 Professional Development League victory over Fleetwood Town Under-21s at Gtech Community Stadium to make it seven wins in a row in all competitions.

Reiss Nelson scored and assisted as he and Keane Lewis-Potter featured for the first 45 minutes, with Ethan Laidlaw adding a first-half brace. Laidlaw then completed his hat-trick in the second half before Ollie Shield and Kyrie Pierre wrapped up an excellent display.

Brentford's first good chance came on nine minutes when Nelson ghosted past his full back and chipped a cross into a great area. Caelan Avenell met it with a strong right-footed volley but the Fleetwood bodies flung themselves in front of the ball to block well.

Nelson then found a clever lifted ball into Theo Mawene minutes later. Mawene took the ball to the byline before squeezing a cross along the six-yard box but Harrison Buckley intercepted before Shield could pounce.

Reggie Rose was called into action on 15 minutes, when Owen Davenport whipped a dangerous free-kick across goal from a tight angle on the right, but the Brentford keeper punched away well.

The Bees found the opener three minutes later after excellent work from Nelson and Laidlaw. The latter forced Fleetwood's keeper into an error with excellent work off the ball, before Nelson was quickest to react, laying the ball unselfishly on a plate for Laidlaw to tap into an empty net.

Mawene almost had a goal of the season contender on 25 minutes, slaloming past four Fleetwood defenders before unleashing a rocket from his right boot that rattled the crossbar.

On 31 minutes, Nelson showed his class again to double the Bees' lead. Receiving the ball on the left after a misplaced Fleetwood pass, he beat his man with two quick stepovers and buried a wonderful strike, curling away from the keeper and nestling into the bottom-right corner to make it 2-0.

Sam Saunders' side had stepped it up a gear and had a third two minutes later as Laidlaw doubled his tally for the day. He picked up the ball 40 yards out, bringing the ball down superbly and driving at the heart of the Fleetwood defence before firing his strike in off the post.

Andre Grey threatened a fourth with a curling effort that clipped the top of the bar on it's way over as the west Londoners cruised into the break with a 3-0 lead.

Joseph Wheeler-Henry was excellent from right-back all evening and almost finished a wonderful team goal 10 minutes after the restart. The 18-year-old powered into the box after a clever one-two with Shield, before flashing the ball across the six-yard box which Laidlaw couldn't quite convert for his hat-trick.

On 66 minutes, the young Bees' no.9 did complete his three-goal haul. It was a free-flowing move that was started by skipper Josh Stephenson driving out of the Fleetwood press, before Riley Owen found Shield wide on the left.

The winger took a perfect first touch to glide past the Fleetwood left-back and found a delightful low cross to find Laidlaw in the six-yard box who tucked home to make it nine goals in nine games for the striker in red hot form.

The Cod Army did pull one back on 80 minutes to spoil a clean-sheet the Bees had worked very hard for. Davenport rose well at the back post and although Rose thought he had clawed it away, the linesman flagged for a goal and it was 4-1.

Saunders' side reacted in rapid fashion. Half-time substitute Pierre worked the ball down the left and drilled a cross to the back post where Shield was in acres of space to control it and rifle in to the roof of the net to restore the four goal lead a minute later.

On 85 minutes, they had a sixth when Shield returned the favour for Pierre. After a brilliant cross from Domeiro Bobb-Semple, Shield kept the ball alive at the back post and fired in to Pierre who adjusted well to convert from close range to make it 6-1.

Six goals to make it six league wins in a row, as the west Londoners leapfrog Sheffield United Under-21s to reclaim their place at the top of the PDL.

The young Bees are next in action at Wheatsheaf Park on Monday 6 April as they take on Cardiff City Under-21s (3pm kick-off GMT). Tickets are available here.

Brentford: Rose, Wheeler-Henry, Stephenson, Avenell (Asemokhai 71), Lewis-Potter (Picotto 46), Grey (Redknapp 64), Owen, Mawene (Bobb-Semple 64), Nelson (Pierre 460, Laidlaw, Shield

Booked: Wheeler-Henry 69

Fleetwood: McLachlan, Bentley-Waite (Kendrick 86), Hughes (Walker 68), Costelloe, Buckley, Taylor (Warbrick 74), Haselden, Kelly, Davenport, Junaid (O'Sullivan 74), Costello

Saunders on superb 6-1 victory

Sam Saunders said he was proud of his side's attitude as the Under-21s made it six league wins on the bounce.

"It's really pleasing to see the stuff that we have been working on all season pay off," he said.

"That equals our best record from last year and it's seven in a row including Monaco last week. The confidence is really high, the competition is there and they're all pushing each other every day in training.

"I'm enjoying watching them express themselves, playing with freedom but also being the best possible teammate they can be and working their socks off."