Brentford secure Premier League promotion as Andre Ayew’s Swansea suffer another heartbreak in play off

 

Brentford have secured promotion to the Premier League.

Thomas Frank’s side defeated Swansea 2-0 in the Championship play-off final at Wembley Stadium, providing redemption for Brentford after they fell short against Fulham in last season’s delayed final.

 

First-half strikes from Ivan Toney and Emiliano Marcondes ended Brentford’s 74-year absence from the top-flight, with 11,689 fans in attendance to witness the club’s historic achievement.

Brentford, last year’s beaten finalists, exploded out the blocks and drew first blood in the opening 10 minutes.

Swansea goalkeeper Freddie Woodman fouled Bryan Mbeumo in the area, allowing Toney to comfortably dispatch his 33rd goal of the season from the subsequent spot-kick.

Brentford were soon two goals to the good after Marcondes swept home from a swift counter-attack.

The club’s blistering start meant they scored as many goals in the opening 20 minutes at Wembley as they had in their previous four play-off finals combined.

They almost put the tie to bed moments later when Toney’s effort from 20 yards out crashed against the crossbar.

Cooper’s Swansea, who shifted away from their recent 4-2-3-1 formation for a 3-5-2 tactical shape, dominated possession for the remainder of the half but failed to force Brentford goalkeeper David Raya into a notable save.

After the break, Swansea’s Andre Ayew spurned a glorious opportunity to get his side back in the game. Connor Roberts’ delightfully weighted ball found a free Ayew in the middle of the area but the 31-year-old was unable to convert.

Swansea continued to hold majority of possession but gave themselves an unsurmountable challenge after Jay Fulton was shown a straight red card for a reckless challenge on Mathias Jensen.

The west London club saw out the remainder of the fixture with relative ease as the final whistle of referee Chris Kavanagh prompted scenes of jubilation among Brentford’s players, staff and fans.

Brenford have become a Premier League club for the first time in their history on their tenth attempt to gain promotion through the play-offs.