Three second half Brentford goals condemned Huddersfield Town to a 3-0 defeat at the Brentford Community Stadium.
The hosts picked up all three Sky Bet Championship points from the encounter courtesy of goals after half-time from Josh Dasilva, Marcus Forss and Bryan Mbeumo.
Carlos Corberán made one change to the starting XI from last weekend’s league opener against Norwich City with Isaac Mbenza coming in for his first start of the campaign, in place of Ben Jackson.
Elsewhere in the Town line-up, there was landmark appearances for former Bees Ben Hamer and Jonathan Hogg. The latter brought up his 350th career appearance whilst Town’s ‘keeper made his 300th career start in West London.
The Terriers were the visitors for the first ever league game inside the new Brentford Community Stadium that was soaked in the early-Autumn sun as Mbenza got the ball rolling at kick-off.
The hosts nearly marked the occasion with an opener inside the first 10 minutes. Rico Henry’s low cross from the left found the run of Bryan Mbeumo but the forward couldn’t connect with it properly and his effort trickled wide of the posts.
Town, sporting their new yellow and purple third kit for the first time, matched that neat passage of play from Brentford and nearly had their own early opener soon after.
Alex Pritchard’s low cross took some good awareness from Bees ‘keeper Luke Daniels to stop it reaching an unmarked Isaac Mbenza at the back post.
Prior to the half-hour mark, it was the hosts that piled up the opportunities with the minutes ticking by. Bees forward Ivan Toney had a quickfire duo of one-on-ones, the first denied by Ben Hamer’s outstretched leg before his second attempt went inches wide of the post.
Mbeumo then curled wide having cut in from the right, but despite the hosts’ raid of attacks, the Terriers continued to have openings on the break, including one through Juninho Bacuna who fired a low effort straight at Daniels.
After a smart free-kick from Pritchard, Town were presented with another opportunity through Mbenza on the right side of the box but the ‘keeper was once again equal to the attempt, tipping the high strike over the crossbar.
Once the players returned from the interval, the half’s first real chance came at the same end, but for Brentford, who made it count to go ahead.
Henry surged down the left before finding the run of Josh Dasilva on the edge of the area who finished on the run to give the Bees the lead.
Despite going a goal behind, Town continued to threaten at the other end and went close to getting an equaliser through Bacuna.
The midfielder leapt highest to meet Pritchard’s drifted corner from the right but his strong header from range only kissed the base of the near post before going behind for a goal-kick.
Brentford weren’t done pushing for goals either. Attempting to put the encounter out of sight, substitute Marcus Forss fired over moments before Emiliano Marcondes forced a save out of Hamer to keep Town in the game.
The hosts did get their second however, with just under five minutes left to play. Mbeumo shielded the ball inside the area before picking out Forss who fired past Hamer to double the lead.
Inside the three minutes of stoppage time, Mbeumo got in on the act himself, picking out the top corner with a left footed strike to make it 3-0 and seal all three points for the hosts.
Next up for Town is a return to the John Smith’s Stadium to host Nottingham Forest in the Sky Bet Championship on Friday 25 September 2020; 7.45pm kick-off.
BRENTFORD (4-3-3)
Luke Daniels; Rico Henry, Ethan Pinnock, Pontus Jansson, Henrik Dalsgaard; Christian Nørgaard, Emiliano Marcondes, Josh Dasilva (Shandon Baptiste, 80’); Sergi Canós (Tarique Fosu, 69’), Ivan Toney (Marcus Forss, 72’), Bryan Mbeumo
Unused subs
David Raya; Dominic Thompson, Mads Bech Sørensen, Jan Žambůrek
HUDDERSFIELD TOWN (4-3-3)
Ben Hamer; Harry Toffolo (Jaden Brown, 35’) Richard Stearman, Christopher Schindler (c) (Romoney Crichlow, 45’), Pipa; Jonathan Hogg, Juninho Bacuna, Alex Pritchard; Josh Koroma, Isaac Mbenza, Adama Diakhaby (Fraizer Campbell, 62’)
Unused subs
Joel Pereira; Demeaco Duhaney, Ben Jackson, Matty Daly
REFEREE
Craig Pawson
