Brentford 1–2 Birmingham City

Former Bee Clayton Donaldson scored one and set up the other as Birmingham City claimed the points at Griffin Park this afternoon.

Manager Dean Smith threw a curve ball in announcing his line up, with Andreas Bjelland brought into the middle as part of a five-man defence, with Yoann Barbet recalled at left-back and giving licence to attack with great effect.

Birmingham started the brighter but it was Brentford who had the best of the early chances once they got a foothold in the game, Barbet drilling in a dangerous shot from a set piece which was blocked, as was Nico Yennaris' follow up, before Maxim Colin put the ball wide from a goof position after connecting with a cross at the back stick.

But it was the visitors who took the lead 15 minutes when Yennaris lost possession in the middle and Donaldson, having already run out of play, took a chance and went down under Dan Bentley's challenge, winning a spot kick which he converted himself.

Letting fly: Nico Yennaris

Lasse Vibe then went close a few times, but it was a chance which fell to the Dane just after the half hour mark which had home fans scratching their heads, taking an extra touch when the ball fell to him almost on the goalline, allowing the army of blue shirts on the line to hack clear.

Vibe went close again after the break, forcing visiting keeper Tomasz Kuszczak to tip his shot over, before the Brum keeper spilt a shot from Maxime Colin in his box, but neither Vibe or Scott Hogan were able to get the the loose ball first.

But just after the hour mark it was 2-0, and proof if nothing else that Brentford's luck is not in at the moment. John Egan looked like he won the ball cleanly off Donaldson on the left touchline, but a free kick was given which Donaldson flicked on for Malcolm Shotton to bury at the far post.

As Brentford probed for a way back into the game, sub Sully Kaikai's back stick effort from Hogan's cross was kept out by Kuszczak, who then brilliantly tipped Hogan's point blank header from a Colin cross onto the crossbar and away.

Goal in vain: Scott Hogan

But that man Hogan, scorer of a brace at Blackburn last week, handed Brentford a lifeline with 15 minutes left, getting first to a cross from sub Josh Clarke to head over Kuszczak, who had come for the ball but was left flapping at thin air in no man's land.

Barely a minute later it was almost level pegging, Kaikai cutting in from the left and brilliantly chipping Kuszczak from a tight angle, only to see his effort come back off the bar.

Clarke then went close before Hogan had an 'equaliser' chalked off for offside as Brentford continued to turn the screw but frustratingly come up short.