Brentford beat Wycombe on penalties in first competitive game at new stadium

Landmark goal: Brentford celebrate the first ever competitive goal at the new ground in normal time
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Malik Ouzia @MalikOuzia_6 September 2020

Brentford got life in their new home off to a winning start thanks to a penalty shoot-out victory over 10-man Wycombe Wanderers.

In the first competitive match at the new 17,250-seater Brentford Community Stadium, Ethan Pinnock had the honour of opening the scoring, only for his mistake at the other end to allow Daryl Hogan to force penalties as Wycombe rallied superbly after the sending off of Dominic Gape.

If the new ground was one sign of Brentford’s growing stature then the fact that Thomas Frank was missing so many of his key men – some because of Premier League interest and more through international call-ups – was another.

The Dane named as strong a team as could have been expected, but it included just three of the XI who started the playoff final a month ago, as he handed competitive debuts to both Charlie Goode and Ivan Toney, his two summer signings thus far.

The visitors enjoyed marginally the better of the opening half hour, Josh Parker heading over when well placed before whipping a devilish ball across the face of goal that just evaded Alex Samuel’s slide.

On 32 minutes, however, the deadlock was broken at the other end by Pinnock, the centre-back meeting Mathias Jensen’s flat free-kick with a superbly placed header in off the far post.

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The Bees might have doubled their lead before the break as Toney was sent through by a terrific Sergi Canos pass but the striker faltered looking to cut back inside, while Ryan Allsop tipped Tariqe Fosu’s effort over the bar.

Wycombe’s task was made harder moments after the re-start, when Gape was given his marching orders after catching Jan Zamburek high on the ankle with his follow through in a committed challenge.

Toney went close on the hour mark, denied by Allsop as he hooked Emiliano Marcondes’ cross goalwards, while Parker continued to be the main threat at the other end, almost catching Daniels out with a near-post effort.

Canos had scored the first ever goal on this ground in a friendly against Oxford United in midweek, and almost added his name to the scoresheet on another historic day, clipping the outside of the post with a curling effort that left Allsop rooted to the spot.

But as Brentford went in search of the goal that would have booked their place in the next round they gifted Wycombe a way back into the tie, Pinnock’s awful backpass intercepted by Scott Kashket, who squared unselfishly for fellow substitute Hogan to smash home.

Wycombe could have won it late in normal time, but were denied by Luke Daniels, who produced a cracking save to deny Fred Onyedinma, before Kashket wasted a golden opening looking for a penalty when he should have gone for goal.

And Daniels would ultimately be the hero in the shootout, too, saving from Kashket to allow Marcus Forss to smash Brentford into the next round with a 4-2 spot-kick win.

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