Riley Owen previews Brentford B v Derby County U21s | OneFootball

Riley Owen says he “can’t wait” to play in front of the fans at Wheatsheaf Park ahead of Brentford B’s second PL Cup fixture of the season against Derby County U21s on Monday night, kick-off at 7pm.

Tickets are available to purchase online as Brentford B play their first PL Cup game at Wheatsheaf Park since January.

The B team saw their first PL Cup game end in a 6-3 defeat against Chelsea U21s, Owen explains how that has put a fire inside him and his teammates ahead of Monday’s test against Derby.

“We were obviously disappointed following the Chelsea game but in terms of the performance I don’t feel like the result fully reflects how well we played at times,” said Owen.

“We went into half-time with a 2-1 lead and looked a real threat in the attacking positions, but Chelsea showed their quality in the second half and were extremely clinical in front of goal.

“We know how important it is to get three points on Monday if we want to get out of the group, so we will use the disappointment we felt against Chelsea as fuel to win the game.”

Owen has been a key feature in Neil MacFarlane’s side since joining the club in the summer of 2023, with the 19-year-old forming a strong partnership with Ethan Brierley in the central midfield position.

Despite a positive first season with the Bees on an individual level, MacFarlane’s side exited the PL Cup in the round of 16 following a defeat to Leicester City having previously been crowed champions in the 2022/23 campaign.

“I was pleased with how I performed for the majority of games last season but as a team we didn’t quite reach the levels we hoped for,” explained Owen.

“We have had some good results so far this season and we have a group which I believe can go far in the PL Cup.

“This competition is very important to us and with the fans behind us I’m sure we can pick up a positive result on Monday night.”

Last time out

Brentford B saw their Middlesex Senior Cup journey come to an end following a narrow 3-2 defeat to Isthmian Southern League Division One Central side Northwood on Tuesday night.

Brentford featured a new-look outfit at The Skyline Roofing Stadium, with a host of Under-18s making appearances in the matchday squad.

After going into the half-time break down 2-0, the young Bees responded with goals from Kyreece Lisbie and a trialist to equalise in the second half. A late penalty ensured the win for the home side, however.

About Derby County Under-21s

Playing out of the Premier League 2 Derby have made a steady start to their league campaign where they are currently placed 22nd out of 26 teams.

The Rams also suffered a defeat in their opening PL Cup fixture losing 3-2 to Bournemouth U21s.

Monday’s visitors will enter the game looking to bounce back following two disappointing results in their previous outings.

Match coverage

The club will have updates of the match against Derby County on social media, as well as a match report on the official website and our new official app.