Draw puts Bees one win from promotion

Hartlepool 1 Brentford 1

Marcello’s Trotta’s equaliser means Brentford face a winner-takes-all promotion showdown with rivals Doncaster on the final day of the season.

The clash at Griffin Park next weekend began to take on critical importance when Doncaster, who had been top at the start of the day, suffered defeat to mid-table Notts County.

That opened the door for the Bees to move second if they won at already-relegated Hartlepool in the late kick-off – but they had to settle for a point.

Had they won, Brentford would only have needed a draw from the Doncaster match to go up to the Championship on the slenderest of margins – goals scored.

As it is, they face a simple equation – a win equals promotion. Anything else, and Uwe Rosler’s men will have to pick themselves up for the lottery of the play-offs.

Brentford could have made their task easier in the opening minute at Victoria Park but Bradley Wright-Phillips spurned the first chance when he fired over.

Jake Reeves saw an effort palmed over by Pools ‘keeper Scott Flinders but the Bees were rocked when the home side went in front on 25 minutes.

Jack Baldwin saw his effort blocked but Luke James reacted to finish past Simon Moore.

Brentford raised supporters’ hopes with an equaliser 15 minutes later. Flinders had kept out Jonathan Douglas’s header but Hartlepool failed to clear their lines and Trotta slotted home.

The visitors largely dominated the second half, with Jake Bidwell seeing a header cleared off the line and Harry Forrester’s shot on the turn saved by Flinders.

But they failed to turn possession and territory into a winning goal – and now need one more win to reach the second tier for the first time in 20 years.

Brentford (4-2-3-1): Moore; Logan, Dean, O’Connor, Bidwell; Douglas, Diagouraga;  Wright-Phillips, Reeves (Adeyemi 65), Hodson (Forrester 56); Trotta (El  Alagui 75).
Subs not used: Gounet, Forshaw, Saunders, Dallas.

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