Brentford held to draw by Barnsley

Brentford 0 Barnsley 0

Brentford dropped points at home again as they missed their chance to climb into the top half of the Championship table.

The Bees, who have drawn against Sunderland and Burton in recent home games, were once again thwarted as a resilient Barnsley side earned a point at Griffin Park.

Dean Smith’s team were unable to build on their bright start as the struggling Tykes shut up shop and successfully ran down the clock.

The lively Sergi Canos was at the heart of Brentford’s best moves in the first half, initiating a spell of one-touch passing that culminated in goalkeeper Adam Davies denying Neal Maupay at close range.

Yoann Barbet created two further opportunities in quick succession with inviting passes for Maupay, but the striker could not provide a finish.

Despite forcing a glut of corners and peppering the Barnsley goal with shots from distance, the Bees could not forge a breakthrough before half-time – although Canos, Barbet and Romaine Sawyers all went close to doing so.

The visitors seemed content to sit deep and rely on the counter-attack, with their only real chance came when Harvey Barnes overran the ball and allowed Dan Bentley to gather.

The same pattern continued after the break, the Tykes’ rearguard deflecting efforts from Canos and Ollie Watkins.

An increasingly edgy home crowd had their nerves further tested when Barnsley mustered a rare threat on goal, with Bentley diving low to his left to push away a curling Barnes free-kick.

Brentford regained the initiative, but never looked likely to snatch a winner until the fourth minute of injury time, when Watkins’ low drive was superbly tipped around the post by Davies.

Brentford: Bentley; Clarke (Yennaris 68), Egan, Bjelland, Barbet; Woods, McEachran (Macleod 74), Sawyers; Watkins, Maupay, Canos (Jozefzoon 74).