1 min
Brentford closed the gap on third-placed Fulham to just one point with a 2-0 late show over their Championship promotion rivals at Craven Cottage.
The hosts almost took the lead in the 15th minute as Bobby Reid thumped a strike onto the crossbar with the resultant rebound from Anthony Knockaert going narrowly wide.
Fulham did have the ball in the back of the net in the 53rd minute through Aleksandar Mitrovic – only for the goal to be rightly ruled offside.
Ten minutes later and Mitrovic once again nearly broke the deadlock with his diving header denied by an incredible reflex save from Brentford keeper David Raya.
And with the clock ticking down, it seemed as though both sides would have to settle for a draw before substitute Emiliano Marcondes crossed for Said Benrahma to tap home in the 88th minute.
Fulham pushed in search of an equaliser but were quickly punished again by the Bees, with a flashing counter-attack resulting in Marcondes adding a second and Brentford taking all three points.
Key Points
Check out all the key talking points and reaction from London Football Scene below…
Key Moment
Fulham pushing up in search of an equaliser left gaps at the back for Brentford to exploit and secure the win.
Moan of the Match
Ollie Watkins and Aleksandar Mitrovic may be the league’s top goalscorers but they were both starved of service.
Talking Point
Fulham remain third but only by a point – it will be interesting to see how much of a psychological impact the result will have on their quest for promotion.
Man of the Match
Emiliano Marcondes – a goal and an assist in a 20 minute cameo in what proved to be an inspired substitution by Thomas Frank.
Tweet of the Match
Referee Watch
James Linington (Newport) – Somewhat of a quiet day, no controversial decisions to make and allowed the game to flow.
Atmosphere
Football is nothing without fans and it will never feel entirely normal seeing empty stadiums, especially for games of this magnitude.
Verdict
An incredible turnaround from Thomas Franks’ Brentford, who reminded the league once again they are capable of grinding out results at decisive moments.
