Brentford 4 Newcastle United 2: Shambolic Magpies defending is costly
Scott Wilson
5 – 6 minutes
NEWCASTLE UNITED were punished for a series of defensive errors as they crashed to a 4-2 defeat at Brentford.
The Magpies were their own worst enemies at the Gtech Community Stadium, handing their hosts a succession of opportunities in an action-packed game.
Harvey Barnes’ dreadful pass from inside his own half enabled Yoane Wissa to score Brentford’s second goal, while Fabian Schar allowed a long clearance from Brentford goalkeeper Mark Flekken to sail over his head as Nathan Collins scored what proved to be the winner in the second half.
With Bryan Mbeumo and Kevin Schade also scoring, the Magpies conceded four goals just three days after shipping three against Liverpool. However, whereas they claimed a point from Wednesday’s home game with the league leaders, they left west London empty-handed as their poor away form continued.
Newcastle scored first-half goals through Alexander Isak and Barnes, and hit the post through Sean Longstaff, but with Wissa also hitting the woodwork for the hosts, the Magpies’ porous defence was ultimately their undoing.
The action was fast and frenetic from the off, with Newcastle hitting the woodwork inside the opening two minutes.
Isak shuffled the ball to Longstaff, who was recalled to the starting line-up in place of Sandro Tonali, and from 20 yards out, the midfielder cracked a shot against the crossbar.
Brentford’s defence was creaking from the very start of the game, but Newcastle’s was no more secure, and the hosts broke the deadlock in the seventh minute.
Mbeumo received a long ball down the right-hand side, and with Lewis Hall inviting him infield, the forward obliged, driving into the area before clipping an excellent finish into the top right-hand corner.
Newcastle’s response was immediate, with the visitors levelling just four minutes after falling behind.
Jacob Murphy looked to be attempting a shot as he drifted towards the right-hand corner of the penalty area, but Isak anticipated where the ball would be going, and the Swede beat Flekken with an instinctive diving header.
It was a brilliant finish from Isak, but Newcastle’s leading scorer should have been celebrating again seven minutes later.
Schar’s long ball sent Isak breaking down the right, and after shrugging off Ethan Pinnock, the striker also rounded Flekken as he broke into the box. He hesitated before shooting though, enabling the Brentford goalkeeper to go to ground and claw the ball away with a goal-saving intervention.
Newcastle continued to create chances against a Bees side who were happy to give them time and space in midfield, and Bruno Guimaraes fired a 20-yard shot just wide of the post after Isak’s cross was headed into his path.
The Magpies shot themselves in the foot shortly before the half-hour mark though, with an awful error from Barnes enabling Brentford to reclaim the lead.
Barnes’ square ball deep in his own half went straight to Wissa, and with Schar backing off him, the Bees forward advanced into the area before stroking a precise finish past Nick Pope.
Again, though, Newcastle responded within four minutes of going behind. It was Barnes making immediate amends for his error, with the winger receiving the ball from Murphy and turning neatly in the area before stroking a low finish into the bottom corner.
The game was flowing from one end to the other, and there was no let-up in the action in the second half.
Brentford came close to scoring a third goal just three minutes after the break, with Wissa breaking clear ahead of a sliding Dan Burn. The forward’s shot deflected off Tino Livramento, but Pope manged to divert the ball onto his left-hand upright.
Barnes flashed a shot wide as Newcastle continued to throw men forward at the other end, but the Magpies were their own worst enemies yet again as the home side claimed the lead for a third time shortly before the hour mark.
Schar allowed Flekken’s long free-kick to sail over his head, and Collins was able to ghost behind the rest of the Newcastle defence to stroke a first-time finish into the bottom corner.
Sandro Tonali headed Isak’s cross over the bar after coming off the bench, but Brentford made their win safe with a fourth goal in the final minute.
Mbeumo played Schade into the area, and after skipping away from Livramento, the home substitute slid a low finish past Pope.
