Bees triumph after stunning fightback

Brentford 2 Swindon 1

Clayton Donaldson scored the winner as Brentford came from behind to clinch a potentially crucial victory in their battle for promotion.

They were dismal in the first half and looked to be heading for a third consecutive defeat after Simon Ferry put Swindon ahead following a mistake by Harlee Dean.

But substitute Sam Saunders netted a 71st-minute penalty after goalkeeper Wes Foderingham’s foul on Donaldson, whose goal four minutes later lifted Uwe Rosler’s men up to third in the table.

Having stuttered in recent matches, Brentford desperately needed a morale-boosting performance against their promotion rivals.

Instead they were edgy from the start and went behind on 32 minutes.

Dean dawdled and Gary Roberts was able to nick the ball and set up Ferry, who fired home.

And another howler by Dean almost led to a second Swindon goal a couple of minutes later.

After the defender misjudged the flight of the ball, Roberts found himself with a clear sight of goal but shot against the post.

Dean at least made amends shortly before half-time, clearing off the line from Andy Williams after the Robins forward had rounded keeper Simon Moore following yet more hesitation in the home defence.

Brentford upped the tempo after the interval but still struggled to create chances, prompting Rosler to bring on Saunders and then Bradley Wright-Phillips, who both changed the course of the game.

Wright-Phillips sliced Swindon open with a lovely through-ball to Donaldson, and Foderingham was arguably fortunate to escape with only a yellow card after bringing the Bees’ top scorer down.

Saunders belted in the resulting penalty and then struck a brilliant 25-yard free-kick which Foderingham somehow managed to tip onto the bar.

But Foderingham was unable to rescue the visitors when Tom Ademeyi nudged Adam Forshaw’s right-wing cross into the path of Donaldson, who finished from close range.

Wright-Phillips and Donaldson were both denied by the outstanding Swindon keeper in the closing stages.

Brentford (4-4-2): S Moore; Logan, Dean, L Moore, Craig; Forshaw, Adeyemi (Diagouraga 84), Douglas, Dallas (Saunders 55); Donaldson, Trotta (Wright-Phillips 61).
Subs not used: Gounet, Reeves, Bidwell, Oyeleke.

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