BRENTFORD 2 BURNLEY 0
Two for Toney as Bees win at home
12 March 2022
Ivan Toney scored twice in the last five minutes as Brentford beat Burnley. The Bees probably had slightly the better of the game, but it looked like it would end all square. But Toney powered home a Christian Eriksen cross and then won and converted a penalty to secure a 2-0 win.
After victory against Norwich City last week, the Burnley success meant The Bees have recorded back-to-back wins for the first time in the Premier League. Neither goalkeeper was particularly busy, but Brentford created more of the chances. There was a vital save from David Raya when the game was level and when Toney made his mark late on, he gave The Bees the win.
It was an open start to the game with both teams looking to get on the front foot. Brentford looked to use the width given to them by Sergi Canós and Bryan Mbeumo while the visitors tried to get Maxwel Cornet on the ballas often as he could. They used Wout Weghorst as a target man and wanted the ball in Brentford territory with Cornet looking to find space to create openings. Burnley had a lot of set pieces in the first quarter of the contest, but Brentford had the better chances.
The closest the visitors came to an early goal was a free kick from Josh Brownhill that bent wide of Raya’s goal. Brentford, at the other end, had clearer sights of goal. The Bees could have scored inside two minutes when a long pass from left to right from Canós released Mbeumo. He managed to work his way in to the penalty area but was crowded out. Toney and Kristoffer Ajer arrived in support, but no-one was able to get a shot away.
There was another opening soon after when Mbeumo again found space and his cross was half cleared. Rico Henry found Canós, and his shot deflected to Toney inside the area. Toney fed Mbeumo, but he shot over from 12 yards on the stretch. Toney and Canós combined to set up Eriksen to shoot from 18 yards soon after, but his low effort was tipped around the post by Burnley goalkeeper Nick Pope.
Pope saved at the feet of Toney soon after, when Vitaly Janelt tried to release him in behind and Cornet pulled a shot across the face of goal at the other end. As the half hour approached Brentford were probably slightly on top. The Bees had more of the ball in midfield and were often denied by an important piece of defending from Burnley, or the last pass going awry. But the hosts were mindful of the threat of Cornet at the other end.
There was a great chance for Dwight McNeil when he drifted in off the left to meet an Ashley Westwood cross with a powerful header, but he failed to miss the target. Brentford also had to scramble away when James Tarkowski headed a deep corner back in to the danger area. But it was The Bees that ended the half on the front foot, with Mbeumo posing problems for the unprotected Burnley left back Charlie Taylor.
Taylor made one important tackle before Mbeumo was able to get past him a few moments later. Mbeumo weaved to the edge of the penalty area before letting fly with a shot that was blocked. As half time approached a Canós cross found Mbeumo again and he drilled in a cross-cum-shot that may have found the net, or Toney, but for the intervention of Tarkowski. Canós picked up the loose ball and had a shot that deflected in to the path of Janelt. The Brentford midfield man looked like he only had Pope to beat but Nathan Collins got back to make a vital tackle.
That ensured the game was level at half time, with Brentford probably slightly the happier. Burnley could, however, have scored within three minutes of the start of the second half when it looked like Cornet might be on to a Brownhill pass, but Raya rushed out and saved at his feet. Burnley tried to be positive at the start of the second period, but Brentford were having the efforts on goal.
Janelt looked like he was going to open the scoring when he stole in behind the Burnley midfield to meet a Canós cross with a header. Unfortunately, he was unable to head it down and the ball landed on the roof of the net. Christian Nørgaard saw a powerful long range shot blocked and an effort from Janelt, after a nice turn, deflected wide. Henry saw a shot blocked as Brentford continued to press.
There looked like a golden chance for The Bees when a clever flick from Toney released Mbeumo. He seemed to be away, but Tarkowski chased him down, forced him wide before he could shoot and made a tackle. Taylor then volleyed wide at the other end.
A loose pass from Henry gave Cornet the best chance of the game with 20 minutes remaining. Cornet beat Pinnock in a race to the pass, back towards the Brentford goal, and only had Raya to beat. Raya stood firm and kept out the low shot before recovering defenders could clear.
Burnley almost grabbed a goal out of nothing when substitute Jay Rodriguez turned and let fly from 25 yards. The ball dipped viciously over Raya and smashed off the crossbar. McNeil had a shot blocked soon after as Burnley had a spell of pressure, while Eriksen pulled a shot wide at the other end.
The next time Eriksen was in the game, it was the vital moment. Brentford had put together some attacking play on the left, but Yoane Wissa and Henry were unable to create the opening. Eriksen joined in and weaved in to space before measuring a cross for Toney to head in from close range. Toney pulled between Tarkowski and Taylor and nodded the ball down, past Pope and in to the net to put The Bees in front.
Burnley had four minutes, plus stoppage time, to chase the game and desperation set in. Tarkowski was booked for a hack at Mbeumo, not the first, and the visitors threw men forward. But that left them open at the back and Brentford exploited it.
Wissa’s ball found Eriksen in space on halfway and he was able to put Toney in behind, away from Tarkowski. Collins came back to help but ploughed in to the back of Toney and Referee Paul Tierney awarded a penalty. Collins was shown a red card as he made no attempt to play the ball and after a check from Video Assistant Referee Lee Mason, the decision stood. Toney lashed the penalty to the right of Pope and even thought the goalkeeper went the right way, he could do nothing. Toney had two and The Bees had the points.
Brentford: Raya; Ajer, Jansson, Pinnock, Henry; Janelt, Nørgaard (sub Jensen 81 mins), Eriksen; Mbeumo (sub Onyeka 90 mins), Toney, Canós (sub Wissa 75 mins)
Subs (not used): Lössl, Roerslev, Zanka, Bech, Baptiste, Ghoddos
Bookings: Toney (87 mins)
Burnley: Pope; Roberts, Collins, Tarkowski, Taylor; Lennon, Westwood, Brownhill, McNeil; Weghorst (sub Rodriguez 67 mins), Cornet
Subs (not used): Hennessy, Lowton, Cork, Barnes, Stephens, Bardsley, Long, Thomas
Bookings: Tarkowski (89 mins)
Sent Off: Collins (90 mins)
Attendance: 16,984 (1,700 away fans)
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