Brighton & Hove Albion 0 Brentford 1
Andre Gray’s 10th goal of the season earned Brentford revenge for their FA Cup defeat and kept them in touch with the Championship front-runners.
Gray struck on 29 minutes as his shot from Stuart Dallas’ cut-back took a deflection before looping over Brighton keeper David Stockdale.
The hosts played the last half hour with 10 men after centre-back Lewis Dunk picked up a second yellow card for shoving Jota.
Either side of the red card, Bees keeper David Button made fine saves to keep Craig Mackail-Smith and Adrian Colunga at bay, while Jonathan Douglas was superbly denied by Stockdale.
For Mark Warbuton’s side, it is their second league double of the season and comes two weeks after the Seagulls knocked them out of the Cup.
In their first home game under new boss Chris Hughton, the hosts started brightly. Button blocked full-back Inigo Calderon’s shot at the near post before saving from Solly March.
Brentford had looked a little disjointed early on but they made the crucial breakthrough when Dallas got in behind Gordon Greer and pulled the back for Gray, whose shot hit the sliding Joe Bennett to leave Stockdale stranded.
Gray should perhaps have doubled his money five minutes later, heading wide when unmarked, and also fired wide just before the break.
Five minutes after the restart, a weak James Tarkowski header fell to Mackail-Smith, but his shot was beaten away by Button.
Dunk’s sending-off came after he was fouled by Jota as he tried shepherding the ball out for a goal kick. The Brentford midfielder tried to stop the free-kick being taken and Dunk, already booked in the first half, responded by shoving him in the chest.
Brentford were frustrated by former Fulham keeper Stockdale as he kept out efforts from Alex Pritchard and Douglas, while at the other end Button saved well from Colunga.
Jon Toral bizarrely contrived to miss a sitter late on, getting the ball trapped under his feet after rounding Stockdale, but Brentford survived a nervy five minutes of added-on time.
Brentford (4-2-3-1): Button; Odubajo, Dean, Tarkowski, Bidwell; Douglas, Diagouraga; Jota (Toral 73), Pritchard (Saunders 87), Dallas (Smith 77); Gray.
Subs not used: Bonham, Craig, Yennaris, Tébar.
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This post was last modified on 18/01/2015