Brentford triumph in five-goal thriller
Brentford 3 Brighton and Hove Albion 2
Brentford moved up into the top six of the Championship by edging a five-goal thriller at Griffin Park.
In a frantic first half, Moses Odubajo fired the Bees into the lead against the run of play before Andre Gray doubled the advantage from Jake Bidwell’s perfect cross.
Brighton skipper Gordon Greer pulled a goal back from a corner and had what would have been an equaliser ruled out just before half-time.
Jonathan Douglas restored the two-goal advantage early in the second half from another Bidwell delivery but Danny Holla’s curling effort kept the visitors in it.
Both sides had chances in a tension-filled end-to-end second half but Brentford saw out the victory that maintains their fine start to life in the second tier.
The first 45 minutes was played at breakneck speed at times. Brighton looked sharp in and around the box and almost took an early lead when Andrew Crofts’ shot thumped against the upright.
On 12 minutes came a potential flashpoint. Gray was nudged over by Lewis Dunk on the edge of the box as he tried to get goal-side, and the Brighton defender was lucky to escape with only a yellow card.
Five minutes later, the excellent James Tarkowski saved his side from going behind as he blocked at the near post after Sam Baldock had rounded Bees keeper David Button – and it proved a crucial intervention.
Within seconds, Brentford went in front as Alan Judge’s precise pass found Odubajo and he drilled a shot low across former Fulham goalkeeper David Stockdale and into the far corner.
The goal came against the run of play but it settled the Bees down and they started to play some lovely football, with Stockdale saving from Gray and Judge curling a shot over.
Brentford doubled the lead on 32 minutes when Bidwell found space down the left and put a cross on a plate for Gray to stab home.
Seven minutes later, Brighton reduced the deficit as the Bees failed to deal with a corner and Scotland centre-back Greer steered home a loose ball from eight yards.
The same player thought he’d equalised when he netted in first-half stoppage time in similar circumstances but the goal was ruled out because of a foul by Dunk on Douglas.
Brentford began the second half on the front foot, with Odubajo cutting inside ex-Fulham and QPR defender Aaron Hughes before curling a shot wide of the far post.
Another swift counter led to Brentford’s third. Bidwell was again the provider after a one-two with Jota and Douglas showed terrific aerial ability to hang between two defenders and nod home.
On the hour mark, Brighton hit back again with a terrific finish from Holla, who picked his spot beyond the helpless Button from the edge of the box.
Sami Hyypia’s side should have equalised when Teixeira fed Joe Bennett, but the on-loan Aston Villa left-back shanked his effort across the face of goal.
Brentford got deeper and deeper as they tried to protect their lead but Brighton’s only serious threats came from shots which cleared the crossbar, and the Bees thoroughly deserved their three points.
Brentford (4-1-4-1): Button; McCormack, Tarkowski, Dean, Bidwell; Douglas; Odubajo, Pritchard (Toral 75), Judge, Jota (Dallas 63); Gray (Proschwitz 69).
Subs not used: Bonham, Craig, Tebar, Diagouraga.
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