Jota leads Bees to derby victory over QPR

Brentford 3 QPR 1

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Jota scored twice for Brentford as they triumphed in an action-packed and controversial derby.

Yoann Barbet put them ahead and Massimo Luongo rattled the Brentford bar during a lively first half at Griffin Park.

QPR thought they had equalised 10 minutes into the second half when Conor Washington’s far-post header from Luke Freeman’s left-wing corner appeared to cross the line before being headed out from underneath the bar by Barbet, but no goal was awarded.

Worse followed for Rangers two minutes later when Joel Lynch, having lost control of the ball, upended Maxime Colin, and Jota tucked away the resulting penalty.

Lynch quickly atoned, heading in Freeman’s corner to raise Rangers’ hopes of a fightback.

But those hopes were crushed by a second, sublime goal from the outstanding Jota, who collected the ball on the right-hand side and breezed past Jake Bidwell and Lynch before firing home.

It meant a league double over Rangers for Brentford and a sixth consecutive defeat for Ian Holloway’s side, who are still not completely safe from relegation.

Brentford made a lively start, with Sergi Canos shooting narrowly wide of the near post, but Rangers went closest to scoring before Barbet’s goal.

Keeper Dan Bentley prevented the visitors going ahead against the run of play when he produced a fine reaction save to keep out Lynch’s flick after Freeman’s free-kick had been headed on by Matt Smith.

Washington – now without a goal in his last 10 appearances – then missed a great chance when he volleyed wastefully wide after being teed up by Smith’s knock-down.

Barbet, though, made no mistake when a chance came his way.

QPR were unable to deal with Jota’s left-wing corner and Barbet had time and space to control the ball before shooting in off the bar.

The goal triggered a spell of slick, incisive Brentford football.

Rico Henry shot straight at keeper Alex Smithies after being put through by Canos’ clever touch, before Jota delightfully scooped the ball over former Bees defender Bidwell only to shoot over the bar.

QPR responded and Bentley was called into action again a couple of minutes before half-time, parrying a header from Smith towards Washington, who blazed over from close range.

Luongo did manage to beat Bentley with a thumping long-range strike only to see it hit the woodwork.

Rangers continued to press after the interval and protested bitterly at the decision not to award a goal when Washington appeared to have levelled.

And once Jota quickly re-established Brentford’s two-goal cushion following Lynch’s header, there was no way back for the R’s.

Smithies prevented a fourth Brentford goal with a superb stop to deny Lasse Vibe, and Bentley also did well to keep out two headers from Smith.

Substitute Idrissa Sylla had an opportunity to pull one back for QPR but directed his shot wide after being set up by Freeman.