Brentford avoid an upset with victory at Colchester

Brentford battled to a hard-fought 2-0 win at Sky Bet League Two Colchester United to progress to the Carabao Cup third round.

Bees boss Thomas Frank rang the changes, with Mikkel Damsgaard and goalkeeper Thomas Strakosha making their debuts and Keane Lewis-Potter making his first start.

The Premier League side almost took the lead in the opening minute when Halil Dervisoglu shot just past the target, after Shandon Baptiste had set him up.

But their Essex opponents went close a minute later through Alex Newby, who fired inches wide from the edge of the area, after Noah Chilvers had picked him out following a swift break.

Brentford really should have been ahead, in the 16th minute. Baptiste had time and space in the Colchester area following Mads Bech Sorensen’s pass but goalkeeper Kieran O’Hara, making his Colchester debut, was alert to the danger and collected the ball at his feet.

Colchester almost went ahead 10 minutes before the break when defender Tom Dallison headed wide, from Chilvers’ free-kick into the box.

However, Brentford took a 39th-minute lead when Lewis-Potter finished calmly from close range, after being picked out in space by Baptiste in the area.

The second half proved to be a more sedate affair, as Colchester sought to level the scores.

The League Two side almost equalised with 18 minutes remaining when Newby’s glancing header was pushed away for a corner by Strakosha.

Brentford almost wrapped things up with five minutes to go when Ryan Trevitt’s effort crashed against the crossbar, after O’Hara had denied Baptiste.

However, Thomas Frank’s team sealed their win in the first minute of stoppage time when Ivan Toney’s header from Saman Ghoddos’ corner hit Sorensen and flew into the net.