Brentford 0-0 Fulham: Ivan Toney’s goalscoring drought continues as West London rivals deliver a derby to forget

Brentford and Fulham played out a goalless draw that was so drab, most of the 17,090 who witnessed it had forgotten it by the time they filed out of the Brentford Community Stadium.

The ambitions of both clubs have been largely satisfied for another campaign leading to an anaemic encounter on a sleepy afternoon.

It was a game that mattered for west London bragging rights and extra revenue for Thomas Frank and Marco Silva to spend on new signings in the summer, given that each finishing place in the Premier League table is worth over £3m more than the position beneath it.

Beyond that, neither set of players looked overly concerned by the result in the first half. There was probing, but little of it involved the motivation that comes from knowing that a season’s ambitions were reliant on it.

The opening half-hour comprised effort aplenty but just one notable attempt on goal from each side. A poor clearance from Mikkel Damsgaard went straight to Alex Iwobi on the edge of the Brentford area. His right-footed shot was firm and true, but flew narrowly over the crossbar.

At the other end, Bryan Mbeumo raced clear, but his shot clipped the outstretched boot of covering Fulham central defender Calvin Bassey. 

That touch was sufficient to flick the ball up against the bar.

The only other opportunities of note came about more by accident than coherent passing movements.

A header from Ethan Pinnock supporting a Brentford foray looped towards Christian Norgaard on the right side of the area, but his volley of a dropping ball was skewed just wide of the far post.

Then just before half-time Keane Lewis-Potter found himself faced by onrushing Fulham keeper Bernd Leno. 

The striker’s lob was heading goalwards until being cleared from under his own crossbar by the covering Issa Diop.

So placid was the play that even the usually combative Joao Palhinha didn’t make a challenge that even threatened to warrant a yellow card.

The Fulham midfielder entered the game one booking shy of becoming the first player ever to collect 14 yellow cards in two separate seasons.

The second half began in the same casual manner, although Rodrigo Muniz should have put Fulham ahead six minutes after the interval. His downward header from an Iwobi cross lacked conviction and was easily held by Brentford keeper Mark Flekken.

Timothy Castagne then headed wastefully over from a corner as the visitors spurned another chance.

An even more glaring miss arrived in the 72nd minute when one substitute, Adama, found another Raul Jimenez, in space at the far post only for the Mexico striker to lift his shot woefully over.

Brentford did rouse themselves to push for a late winner, but like the match, they lacked the necessary creative spark.