TOWN 0 BRENTFORD 1

Town battled in defeat against Brentford at Portman Road.

In a tightly contested affair, Kevin Schade’s header was enough to see Thomas Frank’s side take all three points back to West London.

Town made one change to the side that drew 2-2 at Everton, with Axel Tuanzebe returning to the starting XI in place of Luke Woolfenden, who was named on the bench.

The home side started brightly, with Liam Delap coming close to opening the scoring inside two minutes, but his headed effort was held well down low by Mark Flekken in the Brentford goal.

The visitors took the lead on 18 minutes, Kevin Schade meeting Brian Mbeumo’s corner at the front past and glancing a header past Alex Palmer into the far corner.

In a first half of limited opportunities, Brentford had a chance to double their lead on 32 minutes through Mbeumo, who found himself through on goal only to be denied by Palmer.

The Bees came close once again just before half-time when Mbeumo’s shot deflected to Schade inside the area. The German forward set it back to Mikkel Damsgaard, who flashed a low strike just past the far post.

Thomas Frank’s side started the second half as they had finished the first, Damsgaard capitalising on a loose ball and sliding through Yoane Wissa, whose stabbed effort was parried away by Palmer.

Town responded well to the early pressure, though, Omari Hutchinson coming close with an inswinging cross that flew just past the far post.

Brentford again came close with 69 minutes played, Palmer saving well to deny Mbeumo at close range.

Town worked the ball well to provide a chance for Sam Morsy in the 79th minute, the captain finding himself in space on the edge of the box before firing over.

That effort led a flurry of chances for the home side, with substitute George Hirst played through on goal before losing his footing and firing wide.

Just a minute later, Town threatened again, Hutchinson powering an effort that was tipped on to the post and out for a corner by Flekken.

The resulting corner was deflected goalwards but dropped just inches past the far post.

With the Portman Road crowd energised, Town continued to push for an equaliser, Cameron Burgess denied superbly by the Brentford ‘keeper in stoppage time after meeting a cross on the volley.

Flekken again denied the home side a leveller just minutes later, Hutchinson picking out Hirst, whose headed effort was held by the Dutch shot-stopper.

Town: Palmer, Tuanzebe (Johnson 86’), O’Shea, Burgess, Greaves, Morsy (C), Taylor (Cajuste 62’), Hutchinson, Chaplin (J. Clarke 56’), Enciso, Delap (Hirst 62’). 

Subs: Walton, Woolfenden, Luongo, Godfrey, Boniface.

Booked: Taylor, Hirst.

Brentford: Flekken, van den Berg, Nørgaard (C), Schade (Jensen 73’), Wissa (Konak 90+3’), Yarmoliuk, Mbeumo, Collins, Lewis-Potter, Damsgaard (Thiago 86’), Kayode.

Subs: Valdimarsson, Henry, Pinnock, Mee, Konak, Maghoma, Gomes.

Goals: Schade (18’).

Booked: Nørgaard, Wissa, Kayode, Yarmoliuk.

Referee: Sam Barrott.

Attendance: 29,511 (2,953 away).