Kevin Schade seals victory for Brentford in six-goal thriller against Newcastle | first division

A match almost as wild as the wind in which it was played ended with Brentford achieving a seventh victory in eight unbeaten games at home and in the process breaking the curse that Newcastle had imposed on them: the last team to win here, in the last Last season's day, the visitors became Brentford's 25th and final number. first division opponents to be defeated by them.

Brentford took and lost the lead twice, but when they took the lead for the third time their hold proved firmer and in the final minute they made the game safe. Substitute Kevin Schade was found by Bryan Mbeumo just outside the area; His first touch took him away from the defense and his second sent the ball to Nick Pope.

In the first half, Brentford led twice and were twice pinned in short order, holding the lead for three minutes at the first attempt and four at the second. With a fierce, icy wind occasionally adorned with torrential rain, this never seemed to be an occasion for demonstrations of control, and certainly neither side suggested they might stage one. It was a messy game but nothing short of entertaining, the tone set when Sean Longstaff, returning to the Newcastle team in place of Sandro Tonali, smashed a 20-yard shot against the crossbar in just the second minute.

Under the circumstances, some mistakes were to be expected; the question was to what extent they would be punished. The first half brought two, one from each side, but only one took advantage. Nathan Collins was guilty of the first, failing to handle a long ball out of the Newcastle defense and losing it to Alexander Isak, who ran into the box from the right, danced past Mark Flekken but then was so casual with his shot. , while reflecting on how To ensure that the ball eluded the only defender who was exposed on the goal line, the Dutchman managed to back up, reached out with a hand and pushed the ball away from him.

Precisely 10 minutes later, Harvey Barnes, with hardly any pressure, deflected a 20-yard pass straight to Yoane Wissa in Newcastle midfield, who turned and ran with it into the visitors' penalty area. With no commitment from Fabian Schär or Dan Burn to close it out, he continued to the 18-yard line before firing into the far corner. Fortunately for Barnes Brentford, the Barnes Brentford defense was equally asleep when a Jacob Murphy kick found him in the penalty area in the 32nd minute, and he had time to control, turn and unleash a low shot that crossed the goal and just inside of the far post to complete the team. 'Second exchange of goals.

Brentford took the lead for the first time in the eighth minute after their captain Christian Nørgaard, back in the team after missing the midweek defeat to Aston Villa, played a good pass to Mbeumo on the right. His control was soft, Lewis Hall's marking was lukewarm and the Cameroonian dribbled almost unmolested into the heart of the Newcastle penalty area before finding the corner of the net. Three minutes later, Isak crouched on the edge of the six-yard box to meet Murphy's left-footed cross from the right and the teams were level again.

Eleven minutes into the second half the home team regained the lead, Collins' beautifully calm finish incongruously capping a classic windy day build-up. Flekken took a free kick from deep inside his half, Igor Thiago distracted the defense by narrowly failing to win the header, and no one touched the ball when it bounced towards Collins, whose gentle side foot sent it rolling out of Pope's reach.

While searching for a third draw, Newcastle brought on Tonali, Kieran Trippier, recently recovered from illness, and Anthony Gordon, who for the first time in more than nine months was in their matchday team but not in their starting eleven. and everyone was involved. in his best opportunity to tie. Trippier's free kick was half-cleared for Gordon, whose lofted pass found Isak on the right. The Swede's cross found Tonali, who headed well over the crossbar from eight meters.

But still Brentford were more threatening and, in the end, it was Newcastle who were impressed. Two minutes into stoppage time, the home team came close to scoring a fifth, but Dan Burn cleared the line after Pope had stopped with the ball, well outside his penalty area, and Mbeumo had stolen it.