1 min
A late Ollie Watkins strike ensured Brentford’s promotion push remained on course with a hard-fought 3-2 win over Middlesbrough at Griffin Park.
The Bees made the breakthrough on 23 minutes, as Ethan Pinnock headed back into the centre for Julian Jeanvier to prod home following a goalmouth scramble.
The second-half saw Middlesbrough start on the front foot as Marvin Johnson’s deep cross hit the post while Lewis Wing saw a low effort cleared away by Jeanvier.
And their persistence eventually paid off just before the hour mark when Wing found an equaliser with a strike from 25 yards out.
However, just three minutes later Bryan Mbuemo’s effort was turned in via Harold Moukoudi before Boro equalised again through the head of Ashley Fletcher.
But Brentford were to be undeterred and Watkins handed the Bees all three points with three minutes of normal time remaining, driving Christian Noorgard’s deflected cross into the bottom corner.
Key Points
Check out all the key talking points and reaction from London Football Scene below…
Key Moment
Ollie Watkins’ late winner may not only be the decisive moment in this game but could also be huge for Brentford’s entire season.
Moan of the Match
Too often the Bees wanted to take one touch too many, causing a number of attacks to lose their sting.
Talking Point
After what was an overall average performance from the Bees, how important will these scrappy three points turn out to be?
Man of the Match
Julian Jeanvier – scored the first goal for the Bees and made countless crucial tackles to snuff out Middlesbrough’s attacks.
Tweet of the Match
Referee Watch
Peter Bankes (Merseyside) – The Brentford faithful were left frustrated as countless decisions went against them, but overall he kept good control of the game.
Atmosphere
Griffin Park was rocking as the Bees fought hard to steal the points away from the travelling Boro.
Verdict
A scrappy encounter, Brentford will be thrilled to pick up all three points in a difficult match that was definitely not one of their finer performances.
