Crewe Alexandra U21s 0 Brentford U21s 2: Young Bees move one win away from securing play-off spot | OneFootball

Brentford Under-21s beat Crewe Alexandra Under-21s 2-0 at Mornflake Stadium on Monday lunchtime, as they moved one win away from securing a play-off spot in the U21 Professional Development League.

Goals from Iwan Morgan and Ethan Brierley early on in the first half put Brentford in the driving seat and an assured performance followed to see out the comfortable win.

It was a rapid start from the young Bees who put themselves two goals ahead within 10 minutes.

First, Benjamin Fredrick went on a marauding drive down the right from centre-half and cut the ball back to Morgan, who swept the ball home with a tidy first-time finish on seven minutes for his fourth goal in three games.

Three minutes later and the west Londoners were awarded a penalty after Caelan Avenell forced a handball in the area, and captain Brierley dispatched from the spot to make it two.

Avenell then went close himself, bursting forward from wing-back before pulling his shot wide from the edge of the box.

Romelle Donovan created space for himself on 26 minutes and drilled an effort a foot too far wide of the bottom-right corner.

Max Dickov curled an effort into Tom Booth's hands and Morgan misjudged his header from a dinked Brierley cross.

On 39 minutes, the Bees carved Crewe open on the counter, with Brierley, Donovan and Morgan combining excellently, but Morgan's powerful drive was parried by Booth and Neil MacFarlane's side went into the break with a 2-0 advantage that could have been larger.

Vonnte Williams bent his right-footed strike onto the post within minutes of the restart as Brentford looked to pick up where they left off.

The home side crafted their first real chance on 52 minutes as Iago Scott-Abel flashed over the bar from range.

Josh Stephenson went close to a third when he glanced a header from Donovan's corner goalbound but he saw his effort denied by a fingertip save from Booth in the Crewe net.

Reggie Rose did well to block a vicious strike with a strong arm on 68 minutes, his first real save of the game.

There was a superb move from the Bees minutes later, when Avenell's first-time pass found Dickov, who flicked the ball round the corner and set Donovan on his way. The winger then slid the ball across the box and found Williams at the back post but he lifted his effort over the bar.

Jordan Hodkin missed a gilt-edged chance for the hosts late on in the game, sending his one-on-one strike wide, and MacFarlane's side saw out the clean sheet and the three points.

The U21s are next in league action against Barnsley at Gtech Community Stadium on Monday 5 May for their final fixture in the PDL as they fight to secure a play-off spot.

Before that, though, they will take on Southampton U21s in the Premier League Cup semi-final at St Mary's Stadium on Thursday 1 May.

Crewe Alexandra: Booth (c), Dancer, Thorpe, Scott-Abel (Irwin 63); Cooney, Connolly, Furlong (Mlynarski 63); Ashe, Hodkin, Taylor (Baker 86); Moore

Unused subs: Leather, Roberts

Booked: Connolly 4

Brentford: Rose, Avenell, Williams, Fredrick (Grey 46); Arthur, Stephenson, Dickov, Brierley (c), Morgan (Peters 76); Owen (Wilcox 90+4); Donovan

Unused subs: Shield, Wilcox, Trialist A

Booked: Donovan 32