REPORT: CARAYOL SECURES BRENTFORD POINT

REPORT: CARAYOL SECURES BRENTFORD POINT

United grab late point at Griffin Park...

BRENTFORD 1 (Saunders 28), UNITED 1 (Carayol 84)

Brentford team:  Button, Colin, Dean, Barbet, Bidwell, McEachran, Woods, Saunders (Gogia 64), Swift (Yennaris 88), Judge, Vibe (Djuricin 64). Subs: Bonham, O'Connell, Kerschbaumer, Hofman.

United team:  Silvestri, Wootton, Bellusci, Cooper, Taylor, Dallas (Carayol 76), Bridcutt, Murphy (Diagouraga 60), Cook, Wood (Antenucci 19), Doukara. Subs: Peacock-Farrell, Coyle, Phillips, Adeyemi.

Referee:  Iain Williamson

Booked: Djuricin (Brentford),   Cooper, Carayol, Bellusci, Bridcutt (United)

Att: 10,051 (1,632 United)

The midweek trip to Brentford saw United head coach Steve Evans make just the one change from the previous Saturday's 1-0 victory over Bristol City, with Chris Wood returning to the attack in place of Mustapha Carayol. New signing Toumani Diagouraga, meanwhile, had to settle for a place among the substitutes against his former club.

Wood and strike partner Souleymane Doukara looked to combine during the early stages, with the latter just unable to find his team-mate inside the area after cutting inside from the left, while the hosts probed patiently for an opening in the United defence during an even start to proceedings.

Brentford almost found a way through on the 15th-minute mark, too, as a dangerous right-wing cross from John Swift was inches away from creeping in at the back post before United managed to clear their lines.

Evans was dealt a major blow just 19 minutes into the game, though, with Wood forced off through injury after pulling up clutching his hamstring on the halfway line.

Mirco Antenucci was introduced in attack, but Brentford were soon celebrating an opener as Sam Saunders latched onto a loose ball inside the United half before driving forward to fire into the bottom corner.

Leeds looked to mount a quick response and only the reflexes of Bees goalkeeper David Button stood in their way, with the stopper flying across his line to superbly push away Antenucci’s 25-yard strike with a strong two-handed save.

But Brentford’s tails were up and Alan Judge curled agonisingly over Marco Silvestri’s crossbar after cutting inside from the right, before Saunders fired a free-kick over well from 18 yards out.

United had strong appeals for a penalty waved away at the opposite end as Antenucci hurtled into the Brentford area before going down under the close watch of defender Harlee Dean, only for referee Iain Williamson to wave play on as the hosts took their advantage into the interval.

Both sides re-emerged from the break unchanged and looked to start the second half on the front foot, calling Button into action twice inside the first three minutes.

The Brentford ‘keeper raced off his line to smother Antenucci’s close-range effort after Lewis Cook had threaded the striker into the area, but Button returned to his feet swiftly to block Dallas’ attempt from a tight angle on the rebound.

It was a much brighter return from United but Brentford remained a threat and quickly reminded their visitors of that as Judge forced Silvestri to clutch his curling effort from the edge of the area.

Leeds were dominating the early stages of the second period, though, and again threatened through Doukara, stealing possession 30 yards out before looking to catch Button off his line with a chipped effort which skimmed the side-netting.

Evans was then prompted into his second change of the evening on the hour mark, introducing Diagouraga for his United debut in place of Luke Murphy in midfield.

Silvestri needed to be alert to block Lasse Vibe’s near-post strike, while Liam Cooper headed a corner over the bar after being found at the back post as both sides pushed for the second goal of the evening.

Brentford started the look the more likely to doing so as the game entered the closing stages, with Silvestri at full stretch to clutch Judge’s goalbound free-kick, but Leeds substitute Carayol – a replacement on the wing for Dallas – had other ideas.

The ball rolled into the loanee’s path on the edge of the area and he made no mistake, sweeping a first-time effort perfectly beyond the helpless Button and into the bottom corner to secure a late point.

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