Legge the hero in Bees fightback

Brentford 3 MK Dons 3

Leon Legge’s last-gasp goal – his second injury-time equaliser in four days – completed an amazing fightback by Brentford, who trailed 3-0 at half-time.

In six blistering opening minutes, the Bees were outclassed and two down after strikes from Darren Potter and Angelo Balanta, before former Brentford favourite Charlie MacDonald scored on his return to west London.

But Brentford stormed back after the break and a brace inside eight minutes from Gary Alexander set up another dramatic climax.

After shots reigned in on the Dons’ goal, Legge nodded Brentford level after Jonathan Douglas’ initial header bounced back off the crossbar.

The Bees’ home form has been poor all season, with formidable results on the road keeping them in the play-off race.

And some familiar vacant defending allowed Potter to pick his spot from 20 yards in the fourth minute, and Griffin Park fell silent less than two minutes later when on-loan QPR man Balanta latched onto Dean Bowditch’s throw-in and curled the ball into the far corner.

MacDonald’s tap-in from Jabo Ibhere’s cross on 41 minutes was his second goal against the Bees since his summer move, after scoring in the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy first-round encounter in August.

Brentford were by no means a transformed side in the second half, with the Dons dictating play again immediately after the interval.

But it was sheer determination that rewarded the Bees with a 90th-minute equaliser against Bournemouth on Boxing Day, when Legge scored right at the end, and the same spirit was evident again.

In the 65th minute, a deep cross to the far post allowed substitute Clayton Donaldson to head back across goal and Alexander blasted home the loose ball, before Balanta handled in the area and Alexander made no mistake with the resulting penaly.

And relentless pressure from the home side paid off when Legge popped up to rescue a point.