Bees find Boro a tough nut to crack

BRENTFORD and Middlesbrough stretched their unbeaten runs in an end-to-end goalless draw.

The Bees made it four without defeat and Boro 10 in a match that always threatened but ultimately failed to upset the recent form guide.

Both sides had their chances but wayward finishing and two resolute defences meant a stalemate was the fairest outcome. From the outset Boro, who have leaked just five league goals this season, looked a tough nut to crack for their hosts who are still struggling to hit the heights of last season.

Vitaly Janelt had the best chance to seal the tightest of games for the west Londoners but skied his closerange effort with the goal gaping.

Brentford’s first sniff of goal came in the 12th minute when Henrik Dalsgaard refused to give up by the byline to slip in Sergi Canos, but the Spaniard could not out-muscle his man to get a shot away.

The hosts failed to find any kind of rhythm in a stop-start first half against the high press from Neil Warnock’s side, whose best early efforts came from Marcus Tavernier free-kicks which sailed well over.

Boro dominated possession for long spells without carving open the hosts’ defence, while Brentford patiently searched for the opening.

But it was the Bees who almost took the lead on the half-hour, Josh Dasilva bursting through the lines to fire a cross shot just past the far post.

Minutes later Canos forced a routine stop from Marcus Bettinelli with a speculative effort from the edge of the area.

Ten-goal top-scorer Ivan Toney’s persistence saw him power into the box just before the break, but the danger was averted by a superbly timed last-ditch Anfernee Dijksteel challenge.

Brentford began the brighter after the break but too often both sides saw any attacking intent blunted by over-fussy referee James Linington.

But when they did break Boro carried a threat and had a golden chance to take the lead after 54 minutes. Jonny Howson pounced on a sloppy Mathias Jensen pass to race clear and square for former Brentford loanee Chuba Akpom who turned his man only to blaze over.

Janelt’s opportunity to grab a debut winner came and went on the hour mark. Marc Bola then did well to get over a volley but his strike fizzed just wide of the upright.

Middlesbrough grew in belief in the dying stages and it was the Bees’ turn to defend, with Mads Bech Sorensen making a series of crucial blocks to keep the score deadlocked.

Lewis Wing then thought he had won it for the visitors in added time, but his quick turn and snapshot was palmed over by David Raya.

Brentford head coach Thomas Frank insisted “there is more to come from this group” after a third home draw in a row.

“It was always going to be a very tight game and it went more or less as I expected. If we had won the three points it would have been a really good three points,” he said.

“We played a good game but not a top game, but we didn’t give anything away and they only had a halfchance. But Middlesbrough play in a completely different way to every other team in the division and their players are aligned with that.”