Late goal sends Brentford out
Hereford 1 Brentford 0
Substitute Yoann Arquin’s last-gasp goal knocked Brentford out of the Carling Cup.
After spending most of the match on the back foot, League Two side Hereford came on strong in the final stages as Uwe Rosler’s men faded, and Arquin struck two minutes into injury time.
The first-round tie looked to be heading into extra time when Joe Colbeck found space on the right and set up Arquin to fire into the bottom corner of the net from close range.
Rosler made six changes to the team that beat Yeovil 2-0 in Saturday’s League One opener.
The German had made it clear Charlie MacDonald and Sam Saunders, who came on as substitutes in that game, would be starting against the Bulls.
Kevin O’Connor, Marcus Bean and Sam Wood also started, while goalkeeper Simon Moore came in for Richard Lee, who was on the bench along with Jake Reeves and Gary Alexander.
Brentford had most of the possession and Hereford goalkeeper Adam Bartlett saved with his legs to deny Saunders inside the first minute.
Bartlett also saved from Shaleum Logan, and Saunders steered wide early in the second half as the Bees continued to have the upper hand.
Clayton Donaldson brought another save from Bartlett, before Bean fired over from just inside the penalty area.
Having spent much of the night defending, Hereford enjoyed a decent spell in the closing minutes.
Moore kept out an 82nd-minute shot from Harry Pell and denied him again two minutes later, after the Bees failed to clear James McQuilkin’s outswinging corner.
But Moore could not prevent Arquin from breaking the deadlock, prompting Rosler to throw Alexander on in place of Logan in a desperate attempt to produce an equaliser.
Brentford were unable to save themselves, and their last chance went begging when Marcel Eger shot over following Reeves’ corner.
