Hakon Valdimarsson was the hero for Brentford after his 82nd-minute penalty save earned them a controversial 1-0 win at Colchester in the Carabao Cup second round.
With England striker Ivan Toney again absent following more speculation over his future this week, Thomas Frank watched Keane Lewis-Potter put the visitors ahead in contentious fashion on the stroke of half-time.
Sky Bet League Two club Colchester wanted a foul for Kevin Schade’s push on Aaron Donnelly but nothing was given by referee Paul Howard and it allowed Lewis-Potter to walk in the opener.
Fans in the South Stand at the JobServe Community Stadium were told in an announcement over the PA system on the 77th minute to stop “racist, homophobic and sexist chanting”.
Four minutes later, Colchester were given a penalty but Jack Payne’s low effort was saved by Valdimarsson with his feet to send the Premier League club through to round three.
Brentford manager Frank had promised full debuts for big-money summer signings Sepp van den Berg and Fabio Carvalho at Colchester but Toney was again absent from the squad.
Icelandic goalkeeper Valdimarsson was also handed a first start and endured some nervy early moments, struggling with Donnelly’s long throw which saw Tom Hopper go close.
After a bright start by Colchester, Brentford started to settle and only a superb block by Ben Goodliffe denied Carvalho a goal midway through the half after fine work by right-back Ryan Trevitt.
Lewis-Potter’s influence on the left was also beginning to grow and he headed wide from a corner before Carvalho curled straight down the throat of Matt Macey from 22 yards.
It looked set to be goalless at the break but Brentford broke the deadlock on the verge of half-time in controversial fashion.
Schade battled with Donnelly, who went down in the penalty area after seemingly getting a shove, but play continued and it allowed the Brentford forward to set up Lewis-Potter for a simple goal.
Colchester were stunned as boos echoed around the stadium and home boss Danny Cowley made his feelings known on the touchline.
Chants of ‘1-0 to the referee’ followed as Howard walked off the pitch after Cowley ushered his players away from the official.
The sting was taken out of the white-hot atmosphere by two separate injury stoppages for the impressive Bradley Ihionvien and Milton Oni.
Ihionvien continued and was booked with 19 minutes left when he reacted furiously after a tangle with last-man Ben Mee failed to result in a free kick.
It sparked chants of “the referee’s a racist” from Colchester’s noisy South Stand.
Supporters in that section were told to stop “racist, homophobic and sexist chanting” after a police officer spoke with fourth official Ruebyn Ricardo.
Colchester were awarded a penalty when Frank Onyeka brought down substitute Mandela Egbo.
Referee Howard immediately pointed to the spot but Colchester’s joy was short-lived with Payne’s penalty down the middle saved by the feet of Valdimarsson, who proved to be the Bees’ hero.
[(1.FSV Mainz 05) Strength]: 1. On August 19th, in the first round of the DFB-Pokal, 1.FSV Mainz 05 secured a 1-0 away victory over Dynamo Dresden thanks to a goal from Nadiem Amiri, claiming a winning start to their campaign.2. 1.FSV Mainz 05 have signed leading striker Benedict Hollerbach from 1. FC Union Berlin, with the two parties agreeing a contract until 2029 and the transfer fee set at 10 ...
[(Monchengladbach) Strength]: 1. This is the first league home game for Monchengladbach in the new season. The team hope to make a good start.2. Robin Hack scored a brace in a win for Monchengladbach in the last game, showing strong performance.3. Monchengladbach have played a DFB-Pokal game previously. They won on the road and advanced.[(Monchengladbach) Neutral]: 1. Monchengladbach saw their key...
[(Karlsruher SC) Strength]: 1. Fabian Schleusener scored a brace in the last game. He is expected to extend the good form in the league.2. Karlsruher SC hammered ZFC Meuselwitz 5-0 in the last DFB-Pokal game, showing outstanding form.3. Karlsruher SC kept unbeaten in the last 3 home games with 2 wins and 1 draw, showing good performances.4. Karlsruher SC conceded goals consecutively before, but ke...
[(OGC Nice) Strength]: 1. OGC Nice failed to get a point in the first Ligue 1 round. They are eager for a win to boost themselves, fully motivated in this home game.[(OGC Nice) Weakness]: 1. OGC Nice currently have a serious injury crisis. For this game, defender Mohamed Abdel Monem, midfielders Youssouf Ndayishimiye, Morgan Sanson and Tanguy NDombele will be absent due to injuries. Meanwhile, def...
[(US Sassuolo Calcio) Strength]: 1. As the champions of Serie B last season, US Sassuolo Calcio have returned to the Serie A this season, with their top priority being to avoid relegation. Facing the powerful Napoli, head coach Fabio Grosso stated that the team are fully prepared to take on opponents of this level and hope to achieve a good result at home to make a solid start for their relegation...
[(Eintracht Frankfurt) Strength]: 1. According to the transfer market, the current squad of Eintracht Frankfurt is valued at approximately 340 million euros, ranking fifth in the Bundesliga.2. Eintracht Frankfurt finished third in the Bundesliga last season. It was one of the three teams in the league that reached 60 points, thus securing a spot in the main tournament of the UEFA Champions League ...
[(Burnley) Strength]: 1. Burnley were the best defensive team in the EFL Championship last season, conceding only 16 goals in 46 rounds, 14 goals fewer than the 2nd-fewest team, Leeds United.2. Burnley remained unbeaten with 14 wins and 9 draws in 23 home games last season, showing their home advantage.[(Burnley) Weakness]: 1. Burnley lost 3-0 to Tottenham Hotspur F.C. in the first round, failing ...
Let's start our Daily Laugh today. Aston Villa, Newcastle, Bayern interested in Nicolas Jackson Jao Pedro : Good luck guys for this week Thoughts Do you think Ochoa will make history in 2026? Thoughts The Bundesliga is back Cristiano Ronaldo jumped his own height to score his bicycle kick vs Juventus. Please stay tuned on Daily Laugh. There will be more fun tomorrow!(Credit: Justtoonit, Bleache...
[(Olympique de Marseille) Strength]: 1. After an unexpected defeat in the opening round of the new season, Olympique de Marseille are determined to secure a victory as they return to their home ground. The team urgently need to prove their strength in front of their home fans and secure all three points to avoid the embarrassment of starting the season with back-to-back losses.2. During the offsea...
[(Hannover 96) Strength]: 1. This season so far, Hannover 96's goals were scored by different players, showing their multiple scorers on offense.2. Hannover 96 won 2-0 over Fortuna Dusseldorf in the 2nd away game of the league. They secured a 2-game winning streak in the league of the new season, getting off to a brisk start.3. Hannover 96 won the last 2 home games smoothly, showing decent home pe...
- 1 Nantes vs PSG Prediction for 18 August 2025 - Football
- 2 TIPS - Cerezo Osaka VS Vissel Kobe
- 3 BVB, Monaco and Ajax go for unwanted West Ham midfielder Alvarez
- 4 ngland cricket legend’s granddaughter stuns in bikini
- 5 Lamela explains retirement decision: It started 11 years ago...
- 6 Estevao Willian set for 'key' Chelsea role after debut vs Palace
- 7 TIPS - Gwangju FC VS Daejeon Hana Citizen
- 8 Sevilla Set Price for Man United Target as Club Seek Baleba Alternatives
- 9 Man United Make Goalkeeper Decision Amid Onana and Bayindir Uncertainty
- 10 Daily Laugh - Sunderland top of the table