Luca Picotto
Luca Picotto
Brentford Under-21s suffered a 7-1 defeat against MK Dons in their second Jersey Mike's Trophy group-stage game on Tuesday evening.
The young Bees who had Gustavo Nunes in their side for the first period had to play with ten men after a red card for Caelan Avenell early in the second-half.
Brentford almost took the lead with their first attack of the game. A dangerous cross into the box just evaded Isaac Holland, who couldn't reach it on the stretch, and the ball fell to Luka Bentt on the edge of the area, but the midfielder skied his effort over the bar.
The Dons settled after that early flurry from the away side and gradually took control. The pressure built, and it was former Brentford defender Charlie Goode who rose highest from a corner to steer in from close range and give his side the lead.
The young Bees responded straight from the restart, bombing forward in numbers. After a good team move, Holland found Joseph Wheeler-Henry in a dangerous position, but the defender narrowly missed the target from inside the box.
Goode's next header from a corner came back off the crossbar, and Caelan Avenell scrambled the ball clear in the goalmouth. Aaron Collins doubled the Dons' lead, skipping past Avenell and smashing the ball into the roof of the net from close range.
MK Dons hit the woodwork again when a long-range Collins strike crashed off the bar and deflected away off the back of Rose. Ben Wiles then pounced on a mistake at the back and should have scored, but Rose made a fine stop to deny the Dons' captain.
Collins did add his second soon after, steering in a cross from close range with a deft touch.
Before the half-time whistle Collins doubled the Dons' lead as he managed to skip past Avenell before smashing the ball into the roof of the net from close range.
MK Dons v Brentford U21s Jersey Mike's Trophy
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The second half brought a number of substitutions from both sides, but it was the home side who added to the scoreline. Collins completed his hat-trick, capitalising on another error at the back before calmly slotting past Rose.
Ibrahim Fullah scored the fifth goal of the game, striking from a tight angle, finding the top corner.
Avenell was then sent off for pushing Sam Nombe over in the box. Nombe stepped up to take the penalty, but Rose got down low to his right to tip it round the post.
Second-half substitute Jai Nwosu had two chances in quick succession to pull one back, but both of his shots were comfortably saved by Will Dennis.
Nombe did get his goal in the end, curling a shot from outside the box into the top corner past Rose to make it six.
Simone Troso made it seven as he bundled in a goal from close range.
Second-half substitute Naeem Giscombe scored a late consolation as he fired a first-timed effort from inside the box into the net.
Despite the heavy defeat, the context of the game would suggest that on another day, it would have been a much closer scoreline.
Sam Saunders' side still have the chance to go through with victory in their final game against Crawley which is on Tuesday 10 November.
MK Dons: Dennis, Goode (Ekpiteta 46), Crowley, Collins, Silvera, Fullah, Wintle (Barlaser 46), Wiles (c) (Silver 46), Sanders, Burke, Troso
Unused subs: Stacey, Nombe, Campbell, Perniskie
Brentford: Rose, Nunes (Hanson 46), Owen, Grey, Avenell (c), Holland (Giscombe 87), Shield, Picotto, Klimas (Nwosu 46), Wheeler-Henry, Bentt (Oladapo-Gamu 44)
Unused subs: Trimboli, Wolfheimer, Powis