Bees battle to crucial victory over Forest
Neal Maupay netted Brentford’s winner in a thriller at the Gtech Community Stadium, where Ivan Toney scored on his return to action.
Danilo gave Nottingham Forest an early lead before Toney – back after an eight month ban for breaching FA gambling regulations – and Ben Mee scored.
Chris Wood levelled for Forest before a fine finish byMaupay clinched the points for Thomas Frank’s men.
Brentford were rocked by a bright start from Forest mwho took the lead after only three minutes.
Both Vitaly Janelt and Mee failed to clear the ball from the Brentford penalty area and midfielder Danilo was able to control and volley crisply into the corner of the net.
Toney emerged to level the contest after 18 minutes. From a free kick on the edge of the Forest penalty area, the striker managed to effortlessly bend a low right foot effort into the corner of the net, leaving visiting keeper Matt Turner stranded.
Brentford gradually improved and were unlucky not to score on the half hour when, amid a Forest defensive melee, Keane Lewis-Potter crashed the ball against the crossbar from close range.
Forest began the second half brightly – yet it was the hosts who managed to grab the advantage in the 58th minute. In a simple move, Mee darted across the six yard area to head home a corner by Mathias Jensen.
However, just six minutes later Nuno Espirito Santo’s team were level. While Brentford idled, Callum-Hudson-Odoi found Forest forward Wood, who glanced a superb header past keeper Mark Flekken.
As the game ignited, the Bees responded again in impressive fashion. In the 68th minute, Maupay took a neat first touch from a cross before rifling the ball into the corner of the Forest net for what proved to be the winner.
Brentford: Flekken, Pinnock, Jensen (Yarmoliuk 90+6), Mee, Collins, Lewis-Potter (Dasilva 89), Damsgaard (Baptiste 73), Janelt, Toney, Maupay (Reguilon 73), Roerslev (Ajer 89)
