Bees U18s Kick Off Pre-Season with Hard-Fought Draw

Giscombe Nets for Young Brentford Against Leicester

Brentford’s Under-18 squad commenced their preseason preparations with a competitive 1-1 stalemate against Leicester City’s academy outfit. The behind-closed-doors friendly, held at the Robert Rowan Performance Centre, provided valuable match minutes for both sides as they gear up for the upcoming season.

Early Exchanges and Opening Goal

Under drizzly skies, the match began evenly, with neither team establishing clear dominance in the initial stages. Brentford’s young goalkeeper, **Felix Lyon**, was called into action early, making a crucial save in the sixth minute to thwart a promising Leicester attack and deny a certain goal.

The deadlock was broken in the eleventh minute when **Naeem Giscombe** found the net for the young Bees. Capitalising on a delivery from Trialist A, the forward showcased composure with a neat finish to put Brentford ahead.

Leicester responded swiftly, equalising shortly after. The visitors’ effort found its way past **Lyon**’s outstretched hand and into the bottom right corner of the net, levelling the score.

End-to-End Action in First Half

The game continued at a brisk pace, with both teams creating opportunities and demonstrating attacking intent. **Giscombe** had a chance to extend Brentford’s lead in the 25th minute following some impressive build-up play. **Josh Zetter-Plummer** initiated the move from midfield, releasing **Jovan Kasujja** on the right flank. **Kasujja** advanced and delivered a cross to the back post, where it reached **Giscombe**, but the striker couldn’t convert, leaving the score tied at the interval.

Second Half Stalemate

Brentford faced pressure early in the second half as Leicester enjoyed a spell of possession deep within Brentford’s territory. However, the home defence held firm, and the young Bees regained control of the game’s tempo.

Just a minute into the restart, **Chris Cohalan** won the ball back deep in Leicester’s half and tested the visiting goalkeeper, whose save was robust. Moments later, Leicester missed a clear sight of goal, firing their shot high and wide.

As full time approached, **Giscombe** again posed a threat, heading a cross goalward, only for the Leicester custodian to make another decisive save. Despite late efforts from both sides to secure a winner, the match concluded at 1-1.

The draw offers a promising start to Brentford’s preseason campaign, with the team gaining valuable match sharpness. The starting lineup for Brentford included: **Lyon**, **Trimboli**, **Lawal**, **Golding**, **Bowen**, Trialist A, **Zetter-Plummer**, **Cohalan**, **Kasujja**, **Outtara**, and **Giscombe**. Substitutes were Trialist B, Trialist C, **Ogungbemi**, **Bobb-Semple**, and **Fanoiki**.

Preseason friendlies are crucial for young players, offering a glimpse into their development. For instance, last season, Premier League academy players aged 16-18 averaged approximately 20 appearances in competitive matches, underscoring the importance of these early fixtures (Source: Premier League Youth Development Report 2023).