Match report: Bournemouth 1-0 Brentford
Ben Fisher, the hardest working man on the EFL beat, was lucky enough to be at the Vitality Stadium to see tonight’s game alongside 2,000 Bournemouth fans. Here is how he saw the action unfold ...
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Full-time: Bournemouth 1-0 Brentford
Peep! Peep! Peeeeeeep! It’s over at the Vitality Stadium, where Bournemouth win the first leg courtesy of an Arnaut Danjuma strike. It’s a result both teams will be pleased with as they go to Brentford’s Community Stadium for Saturday’s second leg.
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90+4 min: Danjuma tees up Jefferson Lerma on the edge of the Brentford penalty area but he elects not to shoot.
90+4 min: Bournemouth corner. They try to keep the ball down by the flag.
90+1 min: Dalsgaard relieves Danjuma of the ball with a slide-tackle and puts it for a throw-in. Bournemouth’s supporters appeal for a free-kick and he laughs at the referee, almost in defiance. It was a good, clean tackle.
88 min: Bournemouth lump it long and Henrik Dalsgaard thumps a header out of defence for Brentford. We’ll have five minutes or so of add-ons.
85 min: Dom Solanke shoots low, hard and straight at Raya from distance when he perhaps should have played the ball wide to Jack Stacey up on the overlap. Brentford substitution: Ghoddos on for Jensen.
84 min: Bournemouth win a free-kick at the left corner of the Brentford penalty area for a Jensen foul. Danjuma’s whipped effort is put out for a corner by Raya. Nothing comes of the set piece.
83 min: Bournemouth corner. Danjuma sends the ball into the penalty area and Danjuma heads half-clear.
81 min: That miss from Mbeumo beggared belief. I described it as being like Gazza (v Germany) in 1990 but he wasn’t on the stretch like Gazza. He made full contact with the ball at the far post and somehow put it wide.
80 min: Bournemouth substitution: Jack Wilshere on for David Brooks.
76 min: Brentford attack down the right flank, with Norgaard on the ball. It’s squared for Bryan Mbeumo at the far post and he somehow slides in and Gaazas-it-in-Italia-1990 wide of the upright. HOW DID HE MISS?
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74 min: Brentford substitution: Henrik Dalsgaard on for Vitaly Janelt. Vitaly adjourns to the stand of the Vitality.
71 min: Brentford corner, but first there’s a Bournemouth substitution. Jack Stacey on for Ben Pearson, who limps off. The corner is taken and the ball sails out of play.
65 min: Half-chances at either end as Asmir Begovic flaps at a corner shortly after his opposite number David Raya had saved a scuffed effort through traffic from David Brooks.
62 min: That Bournemouth goal: Brentford gifted possession to Bournemouth deep inside the home side’s half and it was Solanke who sent his team-mates on their way. With David Brooks on the ball running up the inside right, they attacked at lightning speed. Brooks had three or four team-mates to pick out and opted for Danjuma, who made no mistake.
61 min: Mathias Jensen spanks the ball into the side-netting from a tight angle as Brentford seek an equaliser.
59 min: Brentford triple-substitution: Henry, Emiliano and Mbeumo on for Forss, Fosu and Roerslav.
GOAL! Bournemouth 1-0 Brentford (Danjuma 55)
Bournemouth lead! Arnaut Danjuma slots home after receiving a cross from David Brooks as Bournemouth swarmed forward on a counter-attack.
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54 min: Brentford win a free-kick deep inside their own half and the ball’s played long towards the corner. Bournemouth clear and embark on the counter. GOAL!!!!
51 min: It is lashing down with rain in Bournemouth as Brentford prepare to take a corner. The ref pauses proceedings to have a word with Ivan Toney and Cameron Carter-Vickers, who are engaged with can only be described as hands-on man-on-man tomfoolery. With his back to goal, Christian Norgaard hooks the inswinger high over the bar from seven or eight yards out.
48 min: Pontus Jansson is booked for clambering all over the back of Dominic Solanke much like a rodeo cowboy might try to stay on board a bucking bronco.
46 min: A Sergi Cano cross towards the far post from the left is deflected off the toe of Ivan Toney at the far post.
Second half: Bournemouth 0-0 Brentford
46 min: Bournemouth get the ball rolling, right-back Adam Smith back on the pitch despite hobbling off after taking a knock just before half-time.
Half-time: Bournemouth 0-0 Brentford
Peep! It’s half-time at the Vitality Stadium, where the deadlock remains resolutely unbroken. It’s been an intriguing (translation: quite dull) encounter ... tense and nervy, with no real chances of note for either side. If it was a boxing match, Bournemouth would probably be ahead on points but there’s very little in it.
45+4 min: Mads Roerslav picks up a completely unnecessary yellow card for an illegal block on David Brooks.
45+2 min: Bournemouth substitution: Bournemouth skipper Steve Cook limps off under his own steam, to be replaced by Chris Mepham.
45+1 min: Steve Cook hacks the ball clear and goes to ground looking in a huge amount of distress, despite not having been touched by anyone. I suspect that’s him done for the night.
43 min: Sergi Canos sticks out a foot and prods the ball away from the feet of Arnaut Danjuma in the Brentford penalty area, as the Bournemouth diva tried to soft-shoe shuffle his way goalwards. A crucial intervention.
41 min: Oof! Bournemouth go close once ... and then twice from the same corner. Steve Cook’s powerful long-range header from a corner is parried by Brentford goalkeeper David Raya, then David Brooks’s follow-up is blocked.
39 min: Worrying news for Brentford and their fans - Ivan Toney is visibly hobbling after appearing to turn his ankle.
37 min: Neither goalkeeper has had to make a save yet and it’s difficult to know who is on top here. Bournemouth, by a whisker ... maybe. Brentford win a corner as an Ivan Toni shot from outside the area loops over the bar off the head of Cameron Carter-Vickers.
34 min: “You don’t know what you’re doing!” sing the Bournemouth fans at referee Tim Robinson, after he awards a soft free-kick to Brentford in the wake of some amateur dramatics from Brentford’s Mathias Jensen.
33 min: Adam Smith hoists a looping cross into the Brentford penalty area from the right flank but it’s headed clear by Ethan Pinnock.
30 min: Brooks goes down again after shipping an agricultural “reducer” from Sergi Canos. He jumps to his feet immediately, as if to show it didn’t hurt. I bet it did!
28 min: There’s a short break in play as Bournemouth’s David Brooks receives treatment for an ankle injury. He’s OK.
27 min: Bournemouth clear the corner, eventually, following a couple of Tarique Fosu crosses into their box from the right.
25 min: Sergi Canos pulls a shot from distance wide. It takes a nick off Cook on it’s way wide. Corner for Brentford.
24 min: Brilliant work from Steve Cook, who gets back to dive in and send a pass Asmir Begovic’s way in order to prevent Marcus Forss running on to a ball from deep and having a one-on-one with the Bournemouth goalkeeper.
22 min: Arnaut Danjuma sends a cross into the Brentford penalty area from the left. It’s cleared for a throw-in down by the corner flag.
19 min: Dominic Solanke crosses from the right and Mads Roerslav and Ethan Pinnock combine to clear the ball for Brentford. Bournemouth’s Steve Cook goes down holding the back of his leg but tells the bench he’s OK to continue for the time being.
18 min: Dominic Solanke heads against the upright, getting on the end of a cross from the left at the near post. So close! In the Brentford goal, David Raya was beaten.
15 min: Ivan Toney is penalised for a foul on Steve Cook in the Bournemouth penalty area after the ball had ricocheted off Jefferson Lerma and could have gone anywhere.
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12 min: Not too long after Sergi Canos had fired over the bar for Brentford, Philip Billing gets on the end of an Adam Smith cross at the other end of the pitch. Vitaly Janelt dives in to get a crucial interception that helps send Billings’ shot high over the bar. A corner for Bournemouth, from which nothing comes.
10 min: Adam Smith kicks the foot of Tarique Fosu in the Bournemouth penalty as both players stretch to contest a chest-high ball. There is no VAR in this game, but if there was I suspect the Brentford forward might have got a penalty. I have seen them given in the Premier League.
8 min: Brentford attack down the right flank and Cameron Carter-Vickers intercepts a cross from the right from Mads Roerslav after good work from Christian Norgaard.
6 min: No chances of note to report so far, although some bloke in the stands is doing a remarkable job on call-and-response duties in terms of leading the crowd in their support of Bournemouth. He’ll be hoarse in the morning.
4 min: Begovic is quick off his line to collect as Ivan Toney attempts to run on to a through ball and makes his own job harder with a poor first touch.
2 min: Now it’s a throw-in for Brentford, as David Brooks puts the ball out deep in Bees territory.
Bournemouth v Brentford is go ...
1 min: Play begins and Bournemouth win an early throw-in inside their own half. Asmir Begovic gets an early touch in the Bournemouth goal as the ball is played back his way.
Not long now: The teams are out on the pitch, with the players of Bournemouth applauding the lucky 2,000 fans who are present. They wear their usual home kit of red and black stripes, black shorts and black socks. The players of Brentford wear bridal white - will they be the play-off bridesmaids again? Apologies, there was no need for that extremely laboured metaphor. Or is it a simile? I can never remember.
And we’re back: The satellite dish has been wiped off with a tea-towel and coverage has resumed. Panic temporarily over.
Minor technical issue: Your minute-by-minute commentator is covering this game from the sanctuary of his living room in Brixton, south-west London, where it is currently pelting down with hailstones in the middle of an apocalyptic thunder and lightning storm. My coverage of events at the Vitality Stadium has been temporarily disabled by the inclemency of the weather. Hopefully it will be back soon!
Bournemouth v Brentford line-ups
Bournemouth: Begovic, Smith, Carter-Vickers, Steve Cook, Kelly, Lerma, Pearson, Brooks, Billing, Danjuma, Solanke.
Subs: Mepham, Wilshere, Long, Surridge, Stacey, Riquelme, Rico, Travers, Anthony.
Brentford: Raya, Jansson, Norgaard, Pinnock, Roerslev, Jensen, Janelt, Canos, Fosu, Toney, Forss.
Subs: Henry, Goode, Marcondes, Mbeumo, Ghoddos, Dalsgaard, Reid, Daniels, Bidstrup.
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🚨 𝙏𝙀𝘼𝙈 𝙉𝙀𝙒𝙎 🚨
— Brentford FC (@BrentfordFC) May 17, 2021
1⃣1⃣ We're unchanged from Bristol City win
🔙 Henry and Dalsgaard return to bench#BrentfordFC #BOUBRE pic.twitter.com/1jl5u5CvBP
📝 𝗧𝗘𝗔𝗠 𝗡𝗘𝗪𝗦 📝
— AFC Bournemouth 🍒 (@afcbournemouth) May 17, 2021
🔺 Cook captains the side
🔺 Solanke leads the line
🔺 Danjuma and Brooks wide
Here's how we line-up for this evening's play-off semi-final against Brentford 👊
Let's go, lads!! 🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/8Qrv6XNCFr
Tonight’s match officials
- Referee: Tim Robinson
- Referee’s assistants: Ian Cooper and Wade Smith
- Fourth Official: Dean Whitestone
A reminder: VAR is not being used in the play-offs and the “away goals” rule is not implemented in the semi-finals.
Thomas Frank speaks
“I think it has definitely been the fuel throughout the season and the players have used it brilliantly,” he said of last year’s play-off final defeat to Fulham. “We have spoken about how fantastic our season has been and now it is the cup tournament of the season. It is still a fuel but also an experience that, even if you do everything perfect, you can still lose a match.
“We need to go into the match with that burning desire. Leave everything out there. Be brave. Do what we normally do. It is not like an exam where you do well and get your A+ because there a lot of things things can affect it.
“Even if we perform to A+ we are not actually sure we will get the outcome we want but we are ready, we will attack and know we’re going to play against good teams and a good team in Bournemouth who have done fantastic and then it will be down to the fine, fine margins in the second leg.”
Jonathan Woodgate speaks
“We know it’s going to be difficult, but we’re looking forward to the challenge,” said Bournemouth’s manager in an interview with the BBC yesterday. “We’ve got some experienced and quality players to lean on in our dressing room when times gets tough. They’re an outstanding team and no doubt they’ll be favourites.
“In two-legged ties, you have to try and stay in the game as long as you can. There’s lots of people in this squad and in my backroom staff who had experience of these big two-legged play-offs, so we’re hoping that will stand us in good stead.”
Early team news
Full-backs Rico Henry and Henrik Dalsgaard remain sidelined for Brentford, while midfielder Josh Dasilva and Shandon Baptiste are also out.
Bournemouth manager Jonathan Woodgate is expected to be without Junior Stanislas, who has been out for a fortnight with a hamstring injury. Long term absentee Lewis Cook is also out with an ACL injury and will play no part in these play-offs.
Championship play-off semi-final: Bournemouth v Brentford
Following their almost heroic failure to somehow avoid promotion from the Championship last season, Brentford find themselves in the play-offs again. They face a Bournemouth side who are eager to join Norwich City and Watford in returning to the Premier League at the first time of asking following their relegation last season.
Approximately 2,300 home fans will be allowed into the 11,329-capacity Vitality Stadium for this evening’s game following the easing of lockdown restrictions and their support will be welcomed by Jonathan Woodgate and his players in the first leg of this playt-off semi-final.
Unbeaten in 12 matches, Brentford are the form side coming into this game, while Bournenouth line up on the back of three consecutive defeats. Kick-off is at 6pm (BST) but stay tuned in the meantime for team news and build-up.
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