Brentford Under-21s suffered a heavy 7-1 defeat away to MK Dons in the Jersey Mike's Trophy group stage on Tuesday evening. The young Bees were undone by a hat-trick from Aaron Collins and a second-half red card for defender Caelan Avenell.
The result comes as the senior Brentford side sits fourth in the Premier League with nine points from five games. The first team's strong start, which includes a 3-0 win over Chelsea last month, provides a contrasting backdrop to the development squad's difficult night.
Sam Saunders' side started with promise but fell behind in the 29th minute when Charlie Goode headed in from a corner. The game then unravelled in first-half stoppage time, which was extended after Brentford's Luka Bentt suffered an injury and was stretchered off. In that added period, Collins scored twice, first by skipping past Avenell and firing home, then capitalising on a defensive error to make it 3-0 at the break.
Avenell red card compounds collapse
Collins completed his hat-trick three minutes after the restart, and Ibrahim Fullah added a fifth goal soon after. Brentford's task became impossible when Avenell was sent off on the hour mark for a foul in the box. Playing with ten men, the visitors conceded twice more through Sam Nombe and Simone Troso.
Brentford did manage a late consolation, with Naeem Giscombe beating the goalkeeper with a first-time finish a couple of minutes from time. Head coach Sam Saunders said he was disappointed with his team's response after a positive start, acknowledging they struggled with the intensity of MK Dons' press and made uncharacteristic errors.
Despite the heavy loss, Brentford Under-21s still have a chance to progress in the competition. Their final Southern Group H fixture is at home to Crawley Town on Tuesday, 10 November. The senior squad's current form and standings position offer an encouraging outlook as the club builds from its successful academy foundation.
More detail at Brentford FC
