Fulham 3 Brentford 1: Bees defeated in west London derby | OneFootball

Mikkel Damsgaard scored his first goal of the Premier League season as Brentford were beaten 3-1 by Fulham at Craven Cottage.

The Denmark international’s composed finish gave the Bees the lead midway through the first half, but Fulham led at the interval through Alex Iwobi and Harry Wilson. Ethan Pinnock turned Ryan Sessegnon’s cross into his own net five minutes after the restart.

Damsgaard replaced compatriot Mathias Jensen in the only change from the Bees’ 2-2 draw with Chelsea the previous weekend.

Bernd Leno was called into action first. Michael Kayode propelled a throw into a crowded six-yard box, and the German smothered the ball on the goal line.

On 14 minutes, Iwobi’s low cross was helped on by Rodrigo Muniz and Wilson’s effort deflected wide.

From the resulting corner, Caoimhín Kelleher showed quick reactions to punch the ball away after Saša Lukić’s in-swinging delivery struck Kayode’s back. Lukić then dragged wide from 20 yards.

Having soaked up some early pressure, Brentford delivered the first blow in the west London derby.

Keith Andrews’ side pushed high up the pitch as Fulham looked to play out from the back, and King gifted the ball to Damsgaard.

The Dane showed great composure to advance into the box and stroke into the bottom corner, sending the Bees fans at the far end of the stadium into delirium.

With play having resumed, Lukić’s poor pass was collected by Kevin Schade who, having been forced wide by Calvin Bassey, lifted the ball over the crossbar from a tight angle.

Kelleher spilled Sessegnon’s fierce effort from 20 yards and Muniz fired over on the rebound as Fulham went in search of an equaliser.

Two goals in as many minutes turned the game on its head before the break.

Lukić’s shot from distance looped into the area via Pinnock’s outstretched leg and, after Brentford struggled to clear their lines, the ball dropped kindly for Iwobi who poked home from close range.

Iwobi then turned provider. The Nigerian found Wilson with a piercing through ball and the forward finished first time from the right of the Brentford box.

Fulham extended their advantage five minutes after the restart. Sessegnon whipped in a cross from the left which struck Pinnock’s shoulder and flew beyond Kelleher.

The hosts had the ball in the back of the net again just before the hour mark. Muniz blasted into the bottom corner having been slipped through by Wilson, but referee Michael Oliver disallowed the goal after replays showed that the forward had fouled Collins in the build up.

King skewed high and wide from the right of the box, while Damsgaard’s corner was tipped over the crossbar by a back-pedalling Leno, as the game entered the final 20 minutes.

Another Kayode long throw asked questions of the Fulham backline, as substitute Dango Ouattara’s effort from the centre of the box clipped Bassey and bounced out for a corner.

The lively Ouattara then burst down the right, cut the ball on to his left foot and dragged wide of the post.

Fulham (4-2-3-1): Leno; Tete, Andersen, Bassey, Sessegnon; Berge, Lukić (Cairney 86); Wilson (Cuenca 86), King (Kevin 67), Iwobi (Smith Rowe 80); Muniz (Raúl 80)

Subs: Lecomte, Castagne, Adama, Chukwueze

Brentford (5-3-2): Kelleher; Kayode, van den Berg, Collins, Pinnock (Ajer 74), Lewis-Potter (Henry 65); Henderson (Janelt 74), Yarmoliuk, Damsgaard (Carvalho 87); Schade, Thiago (Ouattara 65)

Subs: Valdimarsson, Hickey, Jensen, Onyeka

Keith Andrews: I’m bitterly disappointed

Brentford head coach Keith Andrews shared his thoughts after Saturday’s game at Craven Cottage.

“I’m bitterly disappointed,” he began. “I know what this game means to the fans.

“We started the game well. The approach from the players, around the game and the occasion, was outstanding.

“We took the lead, and then the manner of their two goals, and the timing of them, was really disappointing.

"We need to learn from this as a group. It’s a young squad and we need to analyse that period.”

Damsgaard on Fulham defeat

Mikkel Damsgaard expressed his frustration after Brentford’s 3-1 loss at Fulham.

The midfielder opened his account for the season with a composed finish midway through the first half.

“It’s very disappointing,” said Damsgaard. “We were lacking a bit of fight in a derby game.

“You have to find a way to turn it around, and we weren’t good enough to do that today.

“It was too late that we started stringing together some passes and finding some momentum. We need to do that quicker - it’s not good enough.”