Florian Jozefzoon and Neal Maupay netted the goals as Brentford eventually ground down Bolton’s resistance to clinch victory at Griffin Park.
The Dutch winger opened the scoring just before half-time, but it took the Bees until late in the game to wrap up the points courtesy of Maupay’s back-heel.
The Bees looked the better side from the first whistle, but a combination of wayward finishing and Bolton’s defensive nous shut them out until five minutes from the interval.
Ollie Watkins, Yoann Barbet and Romaine Sawyers were all wide of the mark and Jozefzoon’s strike, a right-foot drive into the far corner, was the first significant shot on target for either side.
The visitors almost hit back on the stroke of half-time when Sammy Ameobi made ground on the right and crossed for Gary Madine, but Barbet did enough to deflect his effort behind.
Jozefzoon should have doubled his – and Brentford’s tally – early in the second half, firing straight at Ben Alnwick after Watkins and Lasse Vibe had combined to create the opening.
Yennaris was unlucky not to make it 2-0 with a fierce shot that deflected onto the post, while Jozefzoon set up another opportunity that Kamohelo Mokotjo bundled wide.
Bolton had their moments and Dan Bentley had to be alert to foil Madine at close range after a defensive mix-up involving the otherwise excellent Chris Mepham.
Vibe could have had a hat-trick, squandering a series of chances – including a bizarre, ungainly sequence when he was afforded three attempts at striking the ball and missed the first two.
He eventually made way for Maupay, who sealed victory with his first goal in two months – a deft finish after a Sergi Canos shot broke to him inside the box.
Brentford: Bentley; Yennaris, Mepham, Bjelland, Barbet; Sawyers, Woods, Mokotjo 73; Jozefzoon (Canos 77), Vibe (Maupay 85), Watkins.
This post was last modified on 13/01/2018