Bees lose at Preston despite fightback

Preston 4 Brentford 3

Brentford suffered a second defeat in two games under new boss Thomas Frank despite a spirited comeback at Deepdale.

The Bees made an appalling start and were three down within 23 minutes before Sergi Canos pulled a goal back just after the half-hour mark.

Ollie Watkins made it 3-2 early in the second half to worry Preston, whose two-goal cushion was restored by Callum Robinson’s second of the game.

Brentford battled on and Neal Maupay netted with five minutes remaining to set up a tense finish.

Preston took an early lead when Alan Brown bundled the ball in after Robinson’s shot deflected into his path.

Robinson then fired past keeper Dan Bentley, whose mistake led to the third goal.

Bentley picked up a back-pass, resulting in a free-kick inside the penalty area, which led to Tom Barkhuizen’s deflected effort finding the net.

It was shaping into a disastrous night for Frank’s side, but a superb strike from Canos into the top corner hauled them back into the match in spectacular fashion.

Brentford put North End under serious pressure after the interval and keeper Chris Maxwell produced saves to deny Canos and Nico Yennaris before a shot from Watkins deflected off both Darnell Fisher and Barkhuizen on the way in at the near post.

Robinson’s 69th-minute goal – a neat finish after he was found by Fisher – appeared to make the game save for Preston but Maupay netted from close range late on as Brentford refused to give up.