Despite early Gomes red card, Wolves draw at Brentford

Despite early Gomes red card, Wolves draw at Brentford

WOLVES earned an FA Cup third-round replay with Premier League rivals Brentford despite having Joao Gomes sent off after just nine minutes.

Midfielder Gomes was given a straight red card for a dangerous tackle on Brentford captain Christian Norgaard.

The hosts dominated possession at Brentford Community Stadium and led on 41 minutes when Neal Maupay fired home.

But Wolves grabbed a draw in fine style as Tommy Doyle drove in from 25 yards for his first goal for the club.

“I’m really pleased, it’s an incredible effort from the players,” said Wolves manager Gary O’Neil.

“There was not much between the teams even with 10 versus 11. We coped with their extra man, tactically we dealt with it very well. To put in the second half they did was really impressive.”

Frenchman Maupay claimed his third goal since re-joining Brentford on loan from Everton in the summer to put his side ahead.

A loose ball rebounded out from the crowded six-yard area after a Mathias Jensen free-kick and Maupay placed his shot inside the left-hand post with power and precision.

It gave Brentford hope of their first FA Cup win over Premier League opposition since they beat Sunderland in 2005-06 as a League One side.

But Doyle, who was part of the Sheffield United side which reached the semi-finals last season, had other ideas.

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On 64 minutes, the Manchester City loanee received the ball 25 yards out following a short corner and lashed a stunning shot past home keeper Thomas Strakosha.

While there was controversy on Thursday night when Everton striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin was dismissed in his side’s goalless draw at Crystal Palace, Gomes’ red card for a studs-up tackle was less debatable.

Brentford skipper Norgaard had to be taken off as a result of the tackle, although early reports suggest his ankle injury is not as bad as first feared.

Brazilian Gomes had just two touches of the ball before lunging in on the Dane, and forcing Wolves firmly on the back foot.

What was more controversial was the incident on 27 minutes, when Mikkel Damsgaard caught Doyle above the ankle but was only shown a yellow card from referee Tony Harrington.

Wolves boss O’Neil was unhappy Damsgaard did not go the same way as Gomes and ended up in an animated row with Brentford counterpart Thomas Frank on the touchline – although it did end in a handshake, with Frank saying it was “nothing personal.”

There were also angry scenes in second-half stoppage time when Brentford forward Keane Lewis-Potter grabbed Wolves full-back Nelson Semedo by the throat as the pair clashed.

Both were booked before a tempestuous game came to a bizarre end with Wolves keeper Jose Sa taunting the home fans before the floodlights were briefly switched off, plunging the stadium into darkness.

O’Neil admitted afterwards Gomes deserved to be sent off – but argued the two Brentford men should have gone too.

“I can see it. I know Joao, he would never do this on purpose, but it doesn’t look great,” he said.

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“The tackle on Tommy Doyle [by Damsgaard] is a straight leg with studs, just as bad as Joao.

“Then [Lewis-Potter] grabbing Nelson Semedo by the throat is a red. We were saying on the bench, it will be a red, VAR will give a red, so I was really surprised, but it’s not really my problem, I will deal with my group.”

But Bees boss Frank said of the Damsgaard tackle: “I don’t think it’s a red, just like I don’t think Calvert-Lewin is a red.

“There are several incidents where you pause the footage and it looks like a red. If you give these, it is not a contact sport, which is a problem.”

An inability to see out a win against a side reduced to 10 men for more than 81 minutes will pile more pressure on Brentford, who are on a run of five successive Premier League defeats that has left them in danger of a relegation scrap.

“Lack of quality,” said Frank, when asked why his team had not been able to see the win out.

“If you play 11 against 10 after 80 minutes and don’t win, that’s lack of quality. We were not moving the ball, not creating chances, then we got punished.”

Frank made four changes to the side beaten by Crystal Palace last time out, including giving Maupay an opportunity to lead the line.

The striker, who has a strong record in the FA Cup with Brentford, repaid the faith. In his last campaign with the Bees in 2018-19, Maupay was involved in a goal in all four of his cup appearances, scoring three and assisting one.

Frank will hope Maupay can now bring that scoring touch to the league, as Brentford continue to fret over the future of Ivan Toney once he returns from his ban for breaching betting rules.

Despite early Gomes red card, Wolves draw at Brentford