Exeter City Reserves 1 Brentford B 0: Bees dominate but beaten in Premier League Cup opener | OneFootball

Brentford B fell to defeat in their opening Premier League Cup Group E fixture, losing 1-0 against Exeter City Reserves at St James Park on Tuesday evening.

Benjamin Arthur, Yunus Konak, Myles Peart-Harris, Julian Eyestone and Romelle Donovan all featured, but the result brought an end to Sam Saunders’ side’s impressive five-game winning streak in all competitions.

The young Bees began the game in confident fashion, moving the ball with purpose as they sought an early goal.

Peart-Harris had an early opportunity to test the gloves of the goalkeeper as he unleashed a shot with the first chance of the game but Jack Bycroft was in the right position to save and hold onto the ball.

The tempo from the away side continued to grow as the half progressed and Ollie Shield went close after good work from Donovan, he fired a deflected shot which only just went wide of the post.

Brentford should have taken the lead through Shield, who controlled Donovan’s excellent cross-field ball, but opted to shoot rather than square across goal, with Bycroft saving well to keep him out.

The away side began the second-half determined to take the lead and they thought they did as Donovan found Peart-Harris who finished expertly but he was adjudged to have been offside.

A fantastic team move followed on 51 minutes, as Arthur drove forward down the wing, finding Donovan with an accurate reverse pass, but the latter failed to keep his shot in the box down as it flew over the bar.

The pressure did not stop from the young Bees as Chanse Headman's header from a Donovan cross on 54 minutes just went wide.

The chances continued to come for Saunders' side as Ethan Laidlaw's curled effort beat the keeper but fortunately for the Exeter goalkeeper the shot whistled past the post.

Despite Brentford’s control, the young Grecians nearly snatched the lead when substitute Jude Horn looked certain to score, only for Julian Eyestone who had been largely untested all game to produce a stunning save. Aidan Bown pounced on the rebound, but Headman’s heroic goal-line challenge kept the hosts out.

On 70 minutes, Brentford carved out a golden chance of their own when Josh Stephenson drove into the box. With a teammate free for the square pass, he chose to shoot, but Bycroft bravely blocked with his face to keep the scores level.

For all the chances the away side created, it was Exeter City who would go on to win the game as Luca Woodhouse rose highest from a free-kick to steer past Eyestone.

That was how the game would end as the home side stifled the young Bees in the closing moments of the game.

The defeat means that the Exeter have won their opening two games in the Premier League Cup whilst Brentford begin the new campaign with a defeat.

Brentford face each group opponent twice, with the reverse fixture of today’s match set for Monday 24 November at Wheatsheaf Park.

Saunders' side are next in action on Monday 6 October as they return to Professional Development League action to take on Swansea City.

Exeter City Reserves: Bycroft, Francis (Perkins 78), Yfeko (Cartwright 46), Higgins (Horn 56), Woodhouse, Dean, Oakes, Wilson (Bown 66), Birch (Appleton 66), Cummins, Cayless

Booked: Cummins 45, Cayless 81

Brentford: Eyestone, Shield (McKNight 86), Stephenson, Headman, Arthur, Konak, Donovan (Grey 90+1), Owen, Peart-Harris, Bentt (Boni 66), Laidlaw

Unused subs: Rose, Picotto

Booked: Donovan 44, Peart-Harris 62, Owen 73