Schade and Andersen score in 1-1 draw for Brentford and Palace in entertaining derby at the Gtech
By Paul Lagan at Gtech Community Stadium
Brentford 1 v Crystal Palace 1
16,997
Brentford remain unbeaten this season after an entertaining 1-1 draw at home to Crystal Palace.
German wide man Kevin Schade opened the score with a wonderful individual effort, while their south London neighbours kept pugging away and were rewarded with a sliding effort that inched over the Bees goal-line from Joachim Andersen in the second half.
Both side had identical philosophies and tactics and it was no surprise that possession ebbed and flowed throughout the 9o minutes.
Scrappy professional fouls were the number one tactic – ensuring few periods of total dominance while killing off hopes of quick breakaways – another signature style of both sides.
While Brentford are slightly better at it, The Eagles once again are proving to be a tough nut to crack when given the chance to get a foothold in the game.
A cagy opening 10 minutes saw neither side create a chance worthy of the name.
Neither were keen to do anything silly and allow the opposition to transition on a counter-attack.
When it did occur for the Eagles on 11 minutes, a wonderful last-gasp block tackle by Ethan Pinnock denied Odsonne Edouard, whose left-foot shot seemed destined for the back of the Brentford net.
Eberechi Eze failed to take full advantage of a lost misplaced ball by Christian Norgaard – his edge-of-the penalty area shot, was weak and drifted harmlessly into Mark Flekken's hands.
Against the run of play, and the home side struck first.
A long diagonal ball from Norgaard to the left found Kevin Schade.
The German left-winger took the ball down the line, cut inside , zipped pas a couple of Palace players before letting fly with a wonderful, curling right-footer that sailed wide of the despairing dive of Sam Johnstone and the ball nestled into the far corner of his net.
The goal knocked the stuffing out of the Eagles a little bit and the Bees took control of the ball.
A glancing header by Nathan Collins from a corner on 45 minutes almost foxed Johnstone, but the ball lost momentum and direction and went just wide of goal.
There were of changes of personnel at half-time by either side.
Lots of niggly. Fouls to precent counter-attacks were the tactics of both sides as neither wanted to give an advantage to the other side.
Si it was down to set pieces to offer an alternative.
On 69 minutes a lively free-kick by Edouard was met with an equally lovely save by Flekken who tipped the ball over his crossbar.
This was followed by two superb instinctive and athletic saves by Flekken as Palace sought desperately to level the scores.
In terms of substitutions, it was Palace who blinked first – on came Jean-Philippe Mateta for Edouard and Naouirou Ahamada came on for Jeffrey Schlupp.
Brentford responded by replacing Jensen was also replaced by Frank Onyeka.
But what a howler of an equaliser on 76 minutes as somehow Joachim Andersen's sliding effort deceived Johnstone and the ball trickled over the line.
Schade was then taken off as Keane Lewis-Potter came on for the final 11 minutes.
Teams: Brentford, Flekken, Hickey, Henry, Pinnock, Norgaard, Jensen, Schade, Wissa, Mbeumo, Collins, Janelt
Subs: Balcombe, Zanka, Onyeka, Ajer, Lewis-Potter, Roerslev, Yarmolyuk, Olakigbe, Brierley
Crystal Palace: Johnstone, Ward, Mitchell, Guehi, Lerma, Ayew, Eze, Schlupp, Andersen, Edouard, Doucoure
Subs: Matthews, Tomkins, Mateta, Clyne, Richards, Ahamada, Gordon, Riedewald, Rak-Sakyi
Referee: Peter Bankes
