Hogan scores twice in Brentford derby triumph

Brentford 3 Fulham 0

Scott Hogan scored twice as Brentford embarrassed Fulham in the west London derby at Griffin Park.

The Bees raced into a 2-0 lead inside seven minutes, with Hogan scoring on his first start for the club after Sam Saunders had chipped keeper Marcus Bettinelli for the opener.

Hogan bagged his second of the match and fifth goal since returning from a long-term knee injury when he smashed in Saunders’ corner on the volley just before half-time.

Ross McCormack hit the woodwork twice for the visitors but, despite improving in the second half, Fulham struggled to create chances in their 19th defeat of the season.

The Whites had poor defending to blame for their defeat; a trend of their season epitomised when Jazz Richards was forced backwards from an attack by impressive Bees debutant Tom Field and lost possession to Sergi Canos, who set up Saunders to score on four minutes.

Striker Hogan, who made his first appearance last month after 19 months out, got in between Fernando Amorebieta and Tim Ream, latched onto Konstantin Kerschbaumer’s through-ball and found the bottom corner of the net from 18 yards.

And, after McCormack curled an effort onto the post from just inside the box, Hogan bagged the Bees’ third on 40 minutes – unmarked from inside the six-yard box.

Moussa Dembele and Ryan Fredericks came on for Fulham for the second half, and Dembele should have found the net when he was put through one-on-one with keeper David Button, who smothered his shot.

McCormack hit the bar from a tight angle and forced Button to save from a long-range free-kick, while Brentford could have had a fourth when the impressive Kerschbaumer forced a save from Bettinelli.