Rotherham United 3–0 Brentford
Brentford could have few complaints after being undone by a clinical and impressive Rotherham United side at the New York Stadium tonight.
The Bees were second best on the night, and if truth be told, it could have been an even heavier defeat as the hosts blew the League One promotion race wide open.
For all that, the Bees had first sight of goal as a Clayton Donaldson effort from the edge of the area was pushed into the side netting by home keeper Adam Collin, leading to yelps of joy from the Brentford faithful amassed behind the opposite goal, who thought it was the main net rippling.
But it was the hosts who took the lead on 13 minutes when Alan Judge was harshly adjudged to have brought down former Bee Nicky Adams in the area, with even home fans suggesting a dive, but that did not concern Kieran Agard as he sent David Button the wrong way from the spot.
Button got down well to save a deflected shot from Ben Pringle soon after, while Adams almost made his former side pay again with a teasing cross to the far post which was headed just over by Alex Revell with the goal at his mercy.
At the other end, a goal bound long range effort from Jake Reeves was deflected just wide, but the hosts came within inches of doubling their advantage when a fantastic free kick from James Tavernier slammed back off Button's near post.
Marcello Trotta has a weak effort saved by Collin, but a minute before the break it was 2-0, Agard bagging his second when Rotherham passed their way across the Brentford area before Pringle laid it off for Agard to smash home.
Sensing a hat-trick, Agard should have added to his tally after the break, going close with a couple of headers, while Jonathan Douglas should have pulled one with a free header at the far post from a Judge cross, but Collin was equal to it.
Lee Frecklington should have sealed the points for the hosts with fine effort from outside the area after Tavernier played the ball back to him, and after Donaldson fired wastefully over for Brentford, Adams found himself one on one with Button, but from a narrow angle, put the ball just wide of the far post.
There was a final blow to come for the Bees in injury time when sub Haris Vuckic was allowed all the time and space in the world to skip through a couple of challenges and dink a shot past Button and in off the near post.
BEES: Button, McCormack, Dean, Craig, Bidwell, Douglas, Forshaw (Yennaris 65), Reeves, Donaldson, Trotta (Grigg 74), Judge (Adams 85). Subs not used: Lee, O'Connor, Dallas, Tarkowski.
