Brentford vs. Bournemouth score: Bees through to Wembley; one win away from Premier League promotion
Bournemouth #Bournemouth
A quick return to the Premier League was within reach for Bournemouth, and then it all went down hill. At Brentford on Saturday in the Championship playoffs semifinal second leg, Bournemouth managed to get a goal five minutes in from Arnaut Danjuma to put themselves ahead on aggregate, 2-0. Then they conceded a penalty kick, then they received a red card, and then it was quickly over as Brentford won 3-1 (3-2 on aggregate) to cruise into next weekend’s final.
In a game that was dominated by Brentford thanks to that one-man advantage, the Bees had 18 total shots to Bournemouth’s two. Bournemouth’s opener actually gave them a two-goal advantage on aggregate, but the fierce hosts managed to battle back, not lose their composure and win in epic fashion. Chris Mepham was shown a red in the 28th minute for a wild, American football-like tackle from behind, grabbing the player by the legs. From there, they never recovered.
In the second half and with the match at 2-2 on aggregate, it was Marcus Forss’ 81st-minute strike that sent the stadium into a frenzy and his side into the big final, where they will face either Swansea City or Barnsley next Saturday.
Brentford, back into playoff final for back-to-back seasons, haven’t been in the first division since 1992-93.