CHERRIES faced Premier League rivals Brentford in a behind closed doors friendly on Tuesday afternoon, allowing Emi Marcondes to continue his journey back to full fitness.

The Dane came off the bench as a mixture of first team Cherries and development squad youngsters defeated a Brentford side of a similar make-up 3-1 at Vitality Stadium.

Myles Peart-Harris had given the Bees a first-half lead from the penalty spot, before Hamed Traore, David Brooks, and Kieffer Moore responded to turn the game on its head.

Whilst exact details are scarce, Cherries started with eight members of Andoni Iraola’s first team set-up.

Goalkeeping duties were split between Andrei Radu and Mark Travers, whilst Welsh international trio Chris Mepham, Brooks, and Moore all started the contest, alongside Leeds United loanee Luis Sinisterra.

Gavin Kilkenny, Hamed Traore and Dango Ouattara rounded off the senior players, whilst dev squad trio Nathan Moriah-Welsh, Max Kinsey, and Ben Greenwood completed the starting XI.

Further youngsters Dominic Sadi and Dan Adu-Adjei were also given opportunities to impress Iraola off the bench.

Both sides used the opportunity to hand minutes to first teamers lacking game time, players coming  back from injury, and potential talents.

Notable players for the away side included Keane Lewis-Potter, who won the penalty that led to Brentford’s opener, midfielders Mikkel Damsgaard and Shandon Baptiste, and B team player Romeo Beckham, son of David.

Peart-Harris dispatched the spot kick, whilst Thomas Frank’s Bees also had a Baptiste effort cleared off the line.

All three of Cherries’ goals would come in a nine-minute period surrounding the hour mark.

Ivorian international Traore nodded home from a Brooks corner to restore parity on 58 minutes, before provider turned goalscorer shortly after, the Welshman putting Cherries ahead.

Marcondes replaced Kilkenny on 64 minutes, his first action on the pitch since undergoing foot surgery in the summer.

The former Brentford man picked up the injury whilst on loan at FC Nordsjaelland last term.

And after just three minutes on the pitch, Marcondes was heavily involved in Cherries’ third and final goal.

The Dane started the attack that eventually culminated in Moore blasting past Strakosha in the Bees’ goal on 67 minutes.

Both sides are in Premier League action this weekend. Brentford host Luton Town on Saturday, December 2, whilst Cherries are at home to Aston Villa on Sunday, December 3.

Cherries: Radu; Moriah-Welsh, Kinsey, Mepham, Greenwood; Kilkenny, Traore, Ouattara, Sinisterra, Brooks, Moore.

Subs: Travers, Marcondes, Adu-Adjei, Sadi.