Brentford fans came away from Portman Road with mixed feelings after the 1-1 draw with the early season Championship strugglers – a game of two halves had seen the Bees deservedly go ahead through Neil Maupay’s cheeky header on 31 minutes, however, after the break the visitors seemed to fade and looked happy to settle for a point towards the end.

Dean Smith made just one change from the side that had beaten Wigan at the weekend, Mokotjo for MacLeod, and the side started in the same attacking vein, coming at Ipswich from the off and stretching the play with some delicious one-touch play.

With the game being shown live via the Sky red button, there was certainly fewer Bees than usual there to cheer on their side, but those who did make the awkward trip to Suffolk were happy at the break – Town were there for the taking it seemed.

But once again, nothing can be taken for granted in this division, and Town came out fighting after the interval, as Brentford seemed to sit back and stopped imposing play. Kayden Jackson’s 73rd minute header, which levelled things up, came when the Bees tried to play the ball out from the back but lost possession on the half way line, and the glancing header that found the net perked up the home fans.

The substitutes that came later in the second half, Canos for Benrahma, Judge for Maupay and Yennaris for Makotjo, seemed to slow us down rather than add the fresh new legs to finish strongly and retake the lead, which as you will hear from the fans’ views on the Beesotted Pride of West London Post Match Podcast, had Bees fans scratching their heads.

How we look back at this away point later in the season, only time will tell, but it felt like two points dropped on the long, diverted trip home, and as we face Frank Lampard’s Derby County at the weekend, the players really need to up the away day points haul if a promotion push is a reality.

Winning at home, then drawing away, will see us go a long way, undoubtedly, but after our impressive start to the campaign the performances away from Griffin Park need to be improved for sure.

Dave Lane
@beesotted100

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