Brentford Under-21s have progressed to the knockout stages of the Jersey Mike's Trophy after a 2-1 victory at Crawley Town on Tuesday evening. The win secured second place in Southern Group H for Sam Saunders' side in their debut season in the competition, with the team now looking ahead to the round of 32 draw.

Domeiro Bobb-Semple was the hero with a brace, opening the scoring on 29 minutes. Luca Picotto capitalised on a defensive error and his cross was flicked home by Bobb-Semple, who reacted quickest in a crowded box. The young Bees dominated the first half and should have doubled their lead from the penalty spot just before the break, but Isaac Holland's effort struck the post.

Bobb-Semple made sure of the points with his second goal after the interval, finishing smartly from inside the area following good work by Gustavo Nunes. Crawley set up a nervy finish when Connor Wickham converted a late penalty on his debut, but Brentford saw out the remaining minutes to claim the historic win. The victory extends the U21s' recent strong form, having now won three of their last four matches across all competitions.

Saunders praises execution

Manager Sam Saunders said his team deserved their place in the next round. "We set ourselves targets coming into this competition, and getting out of the group was the first one," Saunders told reporters. "They executed the game plan really well and I think we deserved the win."

Goalkeeper Reggie Rose played a key role, making a fantastic reflex save to deny Josh Flint from a corner and later tipping a powerful Klaudio Krasniqi shot over the bar. His performance was key in preserving the lead during Crawley's late push.

The result provides a positive note for the club amid a challenging run for the first team, who sit eighth in the Premier League standings with 14 points from 10 games. Thomas Frank's senior side were beaten 2-0 at Brighton last weekend, a result that continued a difficult period where the team has conceded an average of 2.5 goals per game over their last four league outings. They face a tough test against sixth-placed Everton at the Gtech Community Stadium on 23 November in their next fixture.

Attention for the Under-21s now turns to the Premier League Cup, where they host Hull City this Sunday. The Jersey Mike's Trophy round of 32 is scheduled for the week beginning 7 December, with the draw to be made in the coming days.

More detail at brentfordfc.com