It is illuminating to consider just how far Brentford and Leyton Orient’s paths have diverged since their momentous promotion clash in March 2014 in which Trotta’s goal led to the Bees “winning their Cup Final” according to O’s boss Russell Slade and cementing their rise to the Premier League. Beset by poor ownership Orient fell out of the Football league and are now under secure ownership and cementing their place in Division One.
Games between the two clubs are always closely contested and feisty affairs, and this was no exception watched by 13,634 raucous spectators who got behind their respective teams.
Both sides fielded weakened starting 11s – Orient with one eye on Saturday rested almost their entire first team and the Bees gave a debut to 18-year-old Jayden Meghoma, who acquitted himself extremely well and how good it was to have a square peg in a square hole for the first time in a year or so!
Sepp Van den Berg oozed class alongside the evergreen Ben Mee and there were starts for Yehor Yarmoliuk who ran the game for large portions of the second half, Ryan Trevitt and Fabio Carvalho who was to have a massive influence on the match.
As was the case against Forest Green three years ago, the Bees started uncertainly and Orient dominated proceedings and took the lead when a Low cross by James skidded across the area, was ignored by the defenders, Mads Roerslev seemed to have taken a leave of absence and the unmarked Brandon Cooper scored easily from beyond the far post.
The goal served as a wake-up call to the somnambulant-looking Bees and fortunately the equaliser soon followed. Kevin Schade put on the afterburners, tore past a phalanx of defenders left in his wake and saw his shot blocked by the keeper before Carvalho converted the rebound with a glorious overhead kick.
Even better was to come as Carvalho’s deep cross from wide out on the left was splendidly – if somewhat surprisingly – converted by Mikkel Damsgaard with a brave diving header. What a way for him to score his first goal for the club and this time there was no interfering VAR to find a way to disallow it as had been the case last season against Sheffield United.
Damsgaard is an increasing influence on the team as his confidence and fitness grows and Orient simply could not handle him or the tricky Carvalho who are developing an intriguing partnership together.
Even better for the Bees when skipper Christian Norgaard scored with a screamer from the edge of the box when the ball broke free to him after Carvalho fell over. The ball was hit with a savagery perhaps emanating from annoyance at a poor tackle moments earlier which had left him limping.
The second half was a quieter affair. Orient threatened occasionally and Galbraith was clever on the ball. Valdimarsson made a smart near post save from Kelman but was otherwise largely untroubled and the visitor’s plight was not helped when skipper Jack Simpson somehow escaped a second yellow card after a blatant bodycheck before demonstrating the brains of a rocking horse and finally seeing red for a rugby tackle on the flying Schade.
Late substitutes Yogane and Ji-Soo made assured debuts with Yogane – a real unit – showing pace and trickery down the left wing. Mbeumo and Lewis-Potter also enjoyed brief cameos and whilst many queried if it was wise to risk them in a game that was already won, it made sense for Thomas Frank to see Schade who was a mixture of exceptional and average but who’s pace terrified the opposition, Carvalho and Mbeumo play together in advance of Saturday’s far stiffer test against Spurs.
So the Bees progress to the last 16 of the Carabao Cup and their dream of cup success is still alive.