Championship - Play-offs - 1st Leg
BournemouthAFC Bournemouth1BrentfordBrentford0

Championship play-offs: Bournemouth 1-0 Brentford - Arnaut Danjuma gives Cherries first-leg win

By Adam WilliamsBBC Sport at Vitality Stadium
Arnaut Danjuma opens the scoring for Bournemouth against Brentford
Arnaut Danjuma put Bournemouth ahead early in the second half with his 16th goal of the season

Bournemouth manager Jonathan Woodgate knows his side "still have it all to do" to overcome Brentford in the Championship play-off semi-final despite winning the first leg 1-0.

Arnaut Danjuma scored the only goal early in the second half in front of a crowd of around 2,000 home fans, but Brentford missed a glorious chance to level through Bryan Mbeumo.

"It's half-time, it's a slight advantage," Woodgate said after seeing Dutch winger Danjuma finish off a fine counter-attacking move from David Brooks' precise through ball.

"We know how good Brentford are at home, we know how good the players are and the team is, they've been in this situation before and they've got that experience.

"It's far from over."

The Cherries created the bulk of the chances in the first leg, but could have found themselves going into Saturday's return leg all square had Mbeumo not poked narrowly wide from six yards out with the goal gaping.

Emiliano Marcondes was also denied by a smart block from Asmir Begovic after coming off the bench.

Danjuma almost added a second goal late on for Bournemouth from a free-kick only for David Raya to palm it wide.

"I thought we created the better chances in the game and they had one towards the end, but we were outstanding on the counter-attack," Woodgate said.

"We were compact behind the ball and then broke at speed, at pace and we've got that in abundance with the players we've got.

"Those sort of finishes is what Arnaut does and, for me, it was never in doubt once he got in that position, he's so good at it."

The move that led to the goal began when Brentford centre-back Pontus Jansson lost the ball in an advanced position shortly after being booked.

Bournemouth pounced on the space he left at the back on the counter and Wales international Brooks played a deft through ball to Danjuma on the edge of the area, and the Dutch forward calmly finished into the bottom right corner for his 16th goal of the season.

Cherries cheered on to first-leg success

Bournemouth fans
Socially-distanced Bournemouth fans were back at Vitality Stadium on the day coronavirus restrictions were lifted in England

In what was one of the first sporting events to be allowed limited crowds back on the day coronavirus lockdown restrictions were eased across England, Bournemouth certainly responded to the noise and atmosphere their supporters were able to provide after a prolonged absence.

It was also the first time Woodgate took charge of a Bournemouth side in front of a crowd after he was appointed manager in February.

"The atmosphere was just unbelievable, it was electrical having them here," Woodgate said.

"It helped our players, they were constantly behind us, they liked the way we were playing and they fully bought in to how we were trying to play.

"But we're going to Brentford now and the shoe's on the other foot, and I'm sure their fans will be bang up for it."

Bournemouth also went close on the night when Jefferson Lerma fired an ambitious volley narrowly over the crossbar, Philip Billing skewed a shot wide from 12 yards out and Dominic Solanke hit the post with a downward header.

Steve Cook and Brooks were also denied in quick succession when Cook had his header from a corner saved low down by Raya and then Brooks' follow-up was blocked near the post by Ivan Toney.

Cook was forced off in the first half with a knee injury but Woodgate hopes his centre-back and captain will be fit for the second leg.

Brentford, who finished third in the regular season, tasted defeat for the first time in 13 games while sixth-placed Bournemouth found the perfect time to bounce back from three consecutive defeats.

Brentford retain 'massive belief' - reaction

Brentford head coach Thomas Frank:

"An even game I would say between two very good teams that both tried to get on top of the game throughout.

"I thought Bournemouth were slightly more dangerous than us in the first half without dominating.

"I thought we were the better side in the second half and we had our chances, and I felt a draw would've been the right result.

"But in a tight game, we know it's the small margins that will decide the game in a two-legged tie.

"We lost our structure and focus on their biggest threat, which was the counter-attack and we gave them the first goal from that, so we need to do better on that.

"It's a massive chance for Bryan after that and it doesn't get any bigger.

"But, this is just like we're going out in the second half and we're 1-0 down, so there's plenty of time still to turn this round. We'll be ready and come flying out 100%.

"We can use the experience from last year and we know it's going to be another tight game with small margins.

"There's still massive belief in the dressing room we can turn it around.

"It was great to have the fans back there. The Bournemouth fans did a great job, but I expect ours to do a better job, just like we need to do a better job."

Player of the match

BrooksDavid Brooks

with an average of 7.44

AFC Bournemouth

  1. Squad number7Player nameBrooks
    Average rating

    7.44

  2. Squad number10Player nameDanjuma Groeneveld
    Average rating

    7.41

  3. Squad number17Player nameStacey
    Average rating

    6.93

  4. Squad number11Player nameWilshere
    Average rating

    6.87

  5. Squad number9Player nameSolanke
    Average rating

    6.82

  6. Squad number18Player nameCarter-Vickers
    Average rating

    6.80

  7. Squad number3Player nameS Cook
    Average rating

    6.80

  8. Squad number29Player nameBilling
    Average rating

    6.79

  9. Squad number6Player nameMepham
    Average rating

    6.72

  10. Squad number5Player nameKelly
    Average rating

    6.69

  11. Squad number8Player nameLerma
    Average rating

    6.57

  12. Squad number15Player nameA Smith
    Average rating

    6.57

  13. Squad number1Player nameBegovic
    Average rating

    6.55

  14. Squad number22Player namePearson
    Average rating

    6.44

Brentford

  1. Squad number17Player nameToney
    Average rating

    6.12

  2. Squad number1Player nameRaya
    Average rating

    5.81

  3. Squad number7Player nameCanós
    Average rating

    5.77

  4. Squad number6Player nameNørgaard
    Average rating

    5.72

  5. Squad number5Player namePinnock
    Average rating

    5.68

  6. Squad number27Player nameJanelt
    Average rating

    5.61

  7. Squad number8Player nameJensen
    Average rating

    5.59

  8. Squad number24Player nameFosu-Henry
    Average rating

    5.54

  9. Squad number30Player nameRasmussen
    Average rating

    5.39

  10. Squad number18Player nameJansson
    Average rating

    5.35

  11. Squad number15Player nameForss
    Average rating

    5.30

  12. Squad number3Player nameHenry
    Average rating

    4.75

  13. Squad number22Player nameDalsgaard
    Average rating

    4.68

  14. Squad number9Player nameEmiliano Marcondes
    Average rating

    4.57

  15. Squad number20Player nameGhoddos
    Average rating

    4.52

  16. Squad number19Player nameMbeumo
    Average rating

    4.49

Line-ups

Bournemouth

Formation 4-2-3-1

  • 1Begovic
  • 15A Smith
  • 18Carter-Vickers
  • 3S Cook Substituted forMephamat 45+3'minutes
  • 5Kelly
  • 8Lerma
  • 22Pearson Substituted forStaceyat 72'minutes
  • 7Brooks Substituted forWilshereat 81'minutes
  • 29Billing
  • 10Danjuma Groeneveld
  • 9Solanke

Substitutes

  • 6Mepham
  • 11Wilshere
  • 12Long
  • 14Surridge
  • 17Stacey
  • 20Riquelme
  • 21Rico
  • 23Travers
  • 32Anthony

Brentford

Formation 5-3-2

  • 1Raya
  • 30RasmussenBooked at 45mins Substituted forHenryat 58'minutes
  • 18JanssonBooked at 47mins
  • 6Nørgaard
  • 5Pinnock
  • 7Canós
  • 8Jensen Substituted forGhoddosat 86'minutes
  • 27Janelt Substituted forDalsgaardat 73'minutes
  • 24Fosu-Henry Substituted forMarcondesat 59'minutes
  • 15Forss Substituted forMbeumoat 58'minutes
  • 17Toney

Substitutes

  • 3Henry
  • 4Goode
  • 9Marcondes
  • 19Mbeumo
  • 20Ghoddos
  • 22Dalsgaard
  • 23Reid
  • 28Daniels
  • 41Bidstrup
Referee:
Tim Robinson
Attendance:
2,300

Match Stats

Home TeamBournemouthAway TeamBrentford
Possession
Home42%
Away58%
Shots
Home9
Away11
Shots on Target
Home4
Away1
Corners
Home4
Away5
Fouls
Home10
Away14

Live Text

  1. Post update

    Match ends, Bournemouth 1, Brentford 0.

  2. Full Time

    Second Half ends, Bournemouth 1, Brentford 0.

  3. Post update

    Attempt missed. Philip Billing (Bournemouth) left footed shot from long range on the right misses to the right. Assisted by Jack Stacey.

  4. Post update

    Emiliano Marcondes (Brentford) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

  5. Post update

    Foul by Philip Billing (Bournemouth).

  6. Post update

    Corner, Bournemouth. Conceded by Ethan Pinnock.

  7. Post update

    Attempt blocked. Christian Nørgaard (Brentford) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Bryan Mbeumo.

  8. Post update

    Foul by Saman Ghoddos (Brentford).

  9. Post update

    Jack Wilshere (Bournemouth) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

  10. Post update

    Attempt missed. Christian Nørgaard (Brentford) left footed shot from the centre of the box is just a bit too high.

  11. Post update

    Attempt saved. Dominic Solanke (Bournemouth) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Arnaut Danjuma Groeneveld.

  12. Substitution

    Substitution, Brentford. Saman Ghoddos replaces Mathias Jensen.

  13. Post update

    Offside, Bournemouth. Asmir Begovic tries a through ball, but Jefferson Lerma is caught offside.

  14. Post update

    Corner, Bournemouth. Conceded by David Raya Martin.

  15. Post update

    Attempt saved. Arnaut Danjuma Groeneveld (Bournemouth) right footed shot from long range on the left is saved in the top left corner.

  16. Post update

    Foul by Sergi Canós (Brentford).

  17. Post update

    Adam Smith (Bournemouth) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

  18. Post update

    Corner, Bournemouth. Conceded by Emiliano Marcondes.

  19. Post update

    Rico Henry (Brentford) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

  20. Post update

    Foul by Jack Stacey (Bournemouth).

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