FROM GTECH COMMUNITY STADIUM – Brentford kept their slim hopes of European qualification alive heading into the season’s final fortnight with a 2-0 win against West Ham.
The Bees locked down a first ever finish in the Premier League’s top half, while they will also place above west London rivals Chelsea for the first time since 1939.
David Moyes made seven changes to his side with one eye on the second leg of their Europa Conference League semi-final at AZ on Thursday, but the Hammers were utterly woeful throughout here.
The hosts went within inches of taking the lead with only seven minutes on the clock. Kevin Schade’s cross from the left wing found Mikkel Damsgaard ghosting into the box and he beat Lukasz Fabianski to the ball, heading it up and just past the far post.
Brentford did break the deadlock soon after, however. Damsgaard intercepted a loose pass from the back by Nayef Aguerd, with the ball falling for Mathias Jensen to square to Bryan Mbeumo with the freedom of the penalty area, and he was able to coolly slot the ball under Fabianski.
Though he maybe could have done better with that goal, Fabianski did well to deny Yoane Wissa just after the half-hour mark. Aaron Hickey galloped beyond Mbeumo down the right and cut it back for the Bees number 11, striking low but being denied by a strong hand from the West Ham goalkeeper.
The Hammers were clinging on by a thread towards the end of the first half. Fabianski flapped at a header from Schade before getting to his feet and denying Wissa in combination with a last-ditch tackle from Angelo Ogbonna. The loose ball fell to Ben Mee whose shot from around three yards out was blocked off the line and diverted wide.
And the visitors weren’t able to get to the break without conceding a second. Jensen’s long throw was flicked on by Mee, and Wissa was able to get himself in front of Aguerd to head into the far corner.
West Ham showed their first signs of life immediately from kick-off as Danny Ings brought David Raya into a low save with a strike from just inside the area.
Wissa should have doubled his tally for the afternoon on the other side of the break when he intercepted a poor pass back from Soucek, playing a one-two with Mbeumo before firing wide of Fabianski’s goal.
Up next to try his luck again was Mbeumo, who met a deep cross from Schade and headed towards goal, only for the flying leg of Ogbonna to deny him.
Mbeumo had a similar chance blocked by his own teammate in Wissa before Damsgaard somehow tapped…
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