Egan scores twice as Bees beat Ipswich
Brentford 2 Ipswich Town 0
Summer signing John Egan scored twice to give Brentford’s stuttering start to the season a lift at Griffin Park.
Centre-back Egan, brought in Gillingham, first nodded in Lewis Macleod’s corner and was later on hand to tap in after Nico Yennaris’ shot had been saved.
The victory came at the end of a difficult week for Dean Smith’s side, who had lost their opening Championship match at Huddersfield and were then knocked out of the EFL Cup by League Two Exeter.
They were slow to start in this one as well, with Bees keeper Dan Bentley having to save from both Grant Ward and Conor Grant, the latter also firing a free-kick narrowl y over the bar.
Brentford’s first-half chances were limited to a Josh Clarke shot – sliced horribly wide – and Macleod’s low effort which went the wrong side of the far post.
But they looked much sharper immediately after the break, and when Egan was given the freedom of the box he planted a header beyond Bartosz Bialkowski to give the Bees a 48th minute lead.
Bialkowski then denied Macleod and the Ipswich defence scrambled to block Yennaris’ follow-up as Brentford continued to apply pressure.
And the Bees struck again when Yennaris’ tested Bialkowski from distance, and Egan applied the finish from close range.
Ipswich went close to a response with Ward’s hooked volley that went narrowly wide, and they introduced ex-Bees midfielder Jonathan Douglas, who tried to wriggle clear inside the box but could only toe-end the ball through to Bentley.
Brentford: Bentley; Colin (Saunders 67), Egan, Dean, Elder; Yennaris (McEachran 89), Woods; Clarke, Sawyers, Macleod (Kerschbaumer 88); Hogan.
Subs not used: Bonham, Bjelland, Ledesma, Hofmann.
