Brentford move above Bournemouth with comeback victory

Posted Thursday, December 31, 2020 by PA

Brentford came from behind to move into the Sky Bet Championship automatic promotion places with an entertaining 2-1 win over in-form Bournemouth.

Dominic Solanke gave the Cherries the lead midway through the first half when he flicked Lloyd Kelly’s low driven cross into the roof of the net.

But the Bees hit back before the break as Henrik Dalsgaard rose highest at the near post to power home an unstoppable header from Mathias Jensen’s corner.

And they grabbed a winner 11 minutes from time when substitute Tariqe Fosu headed home Bryan Mbeumo’s teasing cross at the far post.

That moved Thomas Frank’s side above Bournemouth and into second, although Swansea will nudge them into third if they beat Reading later on Wednesday.

The Cherries started like a side who had enjoyed an 11-day break and took the game to their promotion rivals from the first whistle.

The hosts survived an early scare after 50 seconds when Jefferson Lerma broke clear from halfway and fed Solanke, whose mis-hit strike bobbled goalwards until Pontus Jansson cleared off the line.

The Bees’ first attack almost broke the deadlock. Dalsgaard’s pull-back from the byline found Mbeumo but he failed to get the decisive touch from close range.

Philip Billing was causing all sorts of problems running at the hosts’ defence and almost teed-up David Brooks but his effort was blocked by Rico Henry.

But it was only a temporary reprieve as Solanke tucked home from close range in the 25th minute.

Winger Sergi Canos, a Boxing Day hat-trick hero at Cardiff for the Bees, flashed a low drive just wide after working himself an opening on the edge of the box.

Jensen tried to catch goalkeeper Asmir Begovic out at the near post with an audacious corner but he parried clear before being forced into a carbon copy stop from Canos’ drive seconds later.

The former Chelsea stopper was in action again 10 minutes before the break, diving at full-stretch to push Mbeumo’s low drive to safety.

But the hosts levelled from the resulting corner – the first goal conceded by Bournemouth in more than eight hours – and the sides went in level at the break, despite a low drive from Jensen that had Begovic scrambling.

Canos should have done better just before the hour mark when he cut in from the left and opened up a path to goal, but his effort was high and wide.

At the other end, Brooks stung David Raya’s fingertips at the near post while Josh Dasilva did likewise from an Ivan Toney knockdown at the other end.

Brentford got their noses in front through Fosu and might have snatched a stoppage-time third through Jensen and substitute Saman Ghoddos on the break but for great Begovic stops.