Hopes of following up a 7-0 home win with a rare victory at Hillsbrough ebbed away as the Bees let the Owls back into a game they were controlling. Thomas Frank said the defeat was ‘irritating’ when they should have got something out of the match.
Before the game Bees fans had debated whether Ethan Pinnock would hold his place in central defence against Julian Jeanvier returning from suspension. We’ll never know what Frank’s choice would have been because as it turned out he needed them both. Pontus Jansson was out with a hip injury picked up in training on Thursday and Henrik Dalsgaard out with illness which – Dane for Dane – meant a first start for Mads Roerslev at right back.
As the Sheffield Wednesday fans band struck up -‘that bloody drum’ moaned one Bees supporter and a few Owls too- their team went straight into immediate attack and Raya just cut out a dangerous cross. The initial storm having been weathered and a potentially serious injury to Jeanvier by Sam Hutchinson having been avoided, Brentford moved into control. Christian Norgaard – captain for the day- and Josh Dasilva dominated the midfield and the makeshift back four looked comfortable especially the debuting Roerslev. The 20 year old made his first start for FC Copenhagen at 17 but three years of nothing much followed. Signed by Brentford B this summer he’s been fast-tracked into the first team squad.
On half an hour a Josh Dasilva corner, won in disputed circumstances, came over from the right. Steven Fletcher rose to clear it but missed and behind him Bryan Mbeumo, barely off the ground, glanced the ball with his head into the far corner.
Wednesday’s strategy was sending long balls to the heads of their two strikers but the 6ft 4 inches of Ethan Pinnock proved more effective than the 6ft 4 of Atdhe Nuhiu (no need for spellcheck he plays for Kosovo) and Bees saw out the first half easily.
At half time Nihiu was subbed and Jordan Rhodes became the third former Bee in the Wednesday line-up joining Moses Odubajo and Kadeem Harris. Brentford were on the attack immediately but soon a new and different pattern of play developed. Wednesday were still sending in high balls, from one Fletcher’s shot was beaten away by Raya, but now Harris was busy on the left flank. With Adam Reach brought on to further reinforce the Owls attack, the game began to slip away from Brentford as Thomas Frank’s stretched squad could offer little experienced fresh blood in response.
Then Roerslev who’d been winning sliding tackles against the Wednesday wide men over-committed against Harris and the powerful, pacy winger was away and clear. His cross hit Rico Henry on the arm as the left back struggled to stop the ball reaching Reach. Fletcher dispatched the penalty.
Only four minutes later Harris and Fletcher were at it again this time from a throw-in and a cross which the striker put away for a second. He was booked for an excessive celebration, unveiling the top half of his body and accompanying body art. The referee gave no mitigation to a jubilant 32 year old in the final years of his career. That bloody drum sounded again.
Being on the losing frontline of the turnaround was a tough introduction to Championship football for Roerslev and credit to him for sticking at it and making some good runs and crosses as Brentford went for an equaliser. From one he found Jeanvier whose header was nearly converted by Norgaard.
In the final few minutes Frank’s so-called ‘BMW’ – Benrahma, Mbeumo and Watkins-began to conjure up chances. Mbeumo skied a shot when through and Benrahma went close.The last chance came as a Rico Henry cross traversed the box untouched.
Afterwards Norgaard said the players were ‘a bit gutted’ that what would have been a good win had got away. So too a chance to get in the top six. Instead Wednesday took that sixth slot. Thomas Frank said Brentford hadn’t missed Jansson and Dalsgaard in the first half but they had in the second. Sam Saunders on TV pundit duty highlighted that it was after that equalising goal that the two defenders- ‘the two key players for being vocal’- could have brought the team together if they’d been on the pitch. Brentford will certainly want them both back in time for Cardiff at Griffin Park on Wednesday.
Sheffield Wednesday: Dawson; Odubajo, Iorfa, Lees, Fox; Murphy (sub Reach 63),Hutchinson (Luongo), Bannan, Harris; Nuhiu (Rhodes) Fletcher
Brentford: Raya; Roerslev, Jeanvier, Pinnock, Henry; Dasilva, Nørgaard, Mokotjo (Jensen); Mbeumo, Watkins, Benrahma