RESULT! Deadly double gives home comfort for new Bees boy
TWO goals on his home debut from centre-back John Egan eased Brentford to a comfortable win in a game of differing halves at Griffin Park.
The big defender headed Lewis Macleod’s precision corner powerfully home three minutes after the break.
And he made it two eight minutes later when goalkeeper Bartosz Bialkowski could only parry Nico Yennaris’ low drive.
It was no more than the Bees deserved for a dominant second-half display after a shaky opening which saw Mick McCarthy’s side squander a hatful of half chances.
A baffled Ipswich boss said: “We gave the first goal away from a set-piece and seemed to unravel after that and looked like conceding another one which is unlike us.
“I don’t like conceding goals from set-pieces but I’m not sure what we do about it.”
Last week’s hat-trick hero Grant Ward was first to threaten, forcing Daniel Bentley into a smart save with just two minutes gone.
The visitors dominated early on and Conor Grant’s superb curling free-kick was just inches away from breaking the deadlock as it flew past the upright.
The Everton loanee went close again in the 21st minute when he raced down the left and cut in to force Bentley to tip on to his post with a low drive.
The hosts’ first chance came on the half-hour when Josh Clarke was slipped through by Ryan Woods, who blazed wide.
Brentford came into the game as the break approached as they ditched the long-ball tactic to play it to feet. And it almost reaped rewards as Scott Hogan twisted and turned in the box and fed Macleod, whose low shot bobbled wide. Freddie Sears gave the Bees’ defence a reminder of his potency almost on the whistle, when he fizzed an effort just wide after a run across the edge of the box. But after the interval it was a different story as the hosts got the ball down and played football around their more direct visitors. Brentford boss Dean Smith (left) admitted his side had to dig in for the first 25 minutes as Ipswich pressed. He said: “We competed and won second balls but then gave it away cheaply. “Then towards the end of the first half we had some patches of play that were better. We got the goal which gave us a lot of confidence and then after that we saw glimpses of what we can do.” He said the result should send a clear message to his players that they are a match for the best sides in the division. Smith added: “I’ve told them that they are a really good Championship team.”