Brighton 0–1 Brentford
Andre Gray netted his first goal in five games as Brentford avenged their FA Cup defeat two weeks ago with a win at Brighton this afternoon.
Following some good early pressure from Brentford, the first opening of the game fell to Inigo Caldeon on the break, who was thwarted by David Button, who then made a great save from Solly March on following a good Brighton build up.
But Brentford took the lead on 28 minutes when Stuart Dallas' cross found Gray in the six yard box, and although the Bees striker didn't make the cleanest of connections, he will have cared little as he ended his recent lean spell.
A few minutes later, Gray almost had his second but headed just wide from a superb Jake Bidwell cross, and then put another chance wide just before half time following a great run by James Tarkowski and a neat lay-off from Dallas.
After the break, Button made a fine stop from Craig Mackail-Smith after Tarkowski failed to get any distance on a headed clearance, and on the hour mark, Lewis Dunk, scorer of the first goal in Brighton's win at Griffin Park two weeks ago, was sent off for clashing with Jota following a seemingly innocuous coming together near the right hand corner.
Jota, who was also booked following the incident, put a belter from the edge of the area wide soon after, while home keeper David Stockdale used his legs to great effect to keep out an Alex Pritchard effort.
Pritchard then put in a brilliant ball to back post which was latched onto by Douglas, but Stockdale gets down well to save, while at the other end, Button made a good save from sub Adrian Colunga following a Brighton break.
Sub Jon Toral should have wrapped it up with five minutes remaining, but having been put clean through by Gray, the Arsenal loanee got the ball caught up under his feet, and in a moment which he will look back on with a cringe, failed to untangle them in time to find a gaping net.
Fellow sub Sam Saunders also came close in injury time after latching onto a cross from Bidwell, but it mattered little as the Bees survived some last gasp Brighton pressure to secure the points.
BEES : Button, Odubajo, Dean, Tarkowski, Bidwell, Diagouraga, Douglas, Pritchard (Saunders 87), Jota (Toral 74), Gray, Dallas (Smith 77). Subs not used: Bonham, Craig, Tebar, Yennaris
