Pair claim first Bees goals, as Frank's men book safe passage into FA Cup fourth round

FA Cup third round

Brentford 2 Middlesbrough 1

Halil Dervisoglu and Saman Ghoddos bagged their first goals in Brentford colours, as the Bees battled through to the fourth round of the FA Cup.

The 21-year-old Turk Dervisoglu, playing his first game since the September win against Southampton in the Carabao Cup, ought to have put his side in front when he fired, off balance, into the side-netting after being fed from a Tarique Fosu breakaway.

But the former Sparta Rotterdam striker – who is back from a loan spell with Twente in the Dutch Eredivisie - more than made amends.

In the 35th minute, he hammered home a Ghoddos corner after getting ahead of marker Hayden Coulson, and after Boro had drawn level at the start of the second half, Dervisoglu turned provider as he slipped Iranian loan signing Ghoddos in for a side-step and smart low finish past keeper Jordan Archer.

Given the predictable wholesale changes following Tuesday’s League Cup semi-final exertions at Tottenham – and the absence of a Thomas Frank, who tested positive for Covid this week – this was a fine reaction to the cup disappointment.

B-team coach Neil MacFarlane was in charge and will have been pleased to oversee such a positive shift and even if the Bees may not particularly care to get sucked into another cup adventure, with promotion the obvious priority, they are in it, whether they like it or not.

Boro equalised three minutes after the break through substitute Sam Folarin – tucking home from close range after a deflected shot had fallen nicely into his path. It was his first goal for his club too.

But the Bees got themselves back in front just past the hour.

It still needed a big contribution from Luke Daniels to secure the win, with the keeper a busy man in the first half, in particular.

He made a fine save to tip over an effort from Chuba Akpom - a former loan player in these parts - and Marc Bola tested him with a near post drive before Marcus Browne asked a similar question after outflanking the Bees down the right.

Daniels also made two more fine saves in the first half to smother a near post effort from Akpom and a direct free-kick from Lewis Wing. Time and again, the stopper has stepped up impressively as David Raya’s understudy.

Brentford: Daniels - Roerslev, Pinnock, Bech Sorensen, Gordon (Haygarth 71) – Ghoddos, Stevens, Gilbert – Dervisoglu (Goode 71), Forss, Fosu. Subs not used: Shepperd, Canos, Pressley