CLAYTON Donaldson ended his two-month goal famine with Brentford's second as they beat Rochdale 2-0 at Griffin Park this afternoon.

The game's first chance arrived on 25 minutes when a trademark long pass from the back found Saido Berahino on the edge of the area, who controlled the ball with a nice first touch, but blazed over when scoring seemed easier with a wild second touch.

But the Bees took the lead on 31 minutes when Donaldson hit he post from a superb Jonathan Douglas through-ball, but while the Rochdale defence stood still, sub Toumani Diagouraga, who had only been on the pitch for eight minutes, pounced at the far post to net the rebound.

Minutes later, a teasing cross from Jake Bidwell found Marcus Bean, whose header was on target but straight at visiting keeper David Lucas, and 1-0 it stayed until half time.

Brentford almost doubled their lead minutes into the second half when a lovely move involving Berahino and Marcus Bean found Donaldson through on goal, but he was halted by an offside flag, while Bidwell tested Lucas with a stinging cross-shot son after.

Lucas was called into action again ton save at Douglas's feet from Berahino's ball into the box, before punching a Sam Saunders free-kick off the incoming Harlee Dean's head.

There was a let-off for Dale on 65 minutes when Saunders was seemingly brought down inside the area, but instead of a penalty the referee gave a free-kick right on the 18-yard line, which Saunders sent straight at Lucas.

Donaldson came close minutes later with a looping header from a Bidwell cross which Lucas did brilliantly to tip over, while from the resulting corner, Karleigh Osborne's goal-bound header was deflected over by a defender on the line.

Rochdale, who had barely troubled Richard Lee's goal all afternoon, inevitably almost got an opening through a Brentford mistake when Leon Legge missed his header from a long ball forward, but Lee was quick off his line to clear from the onrushing Jean-Louis Akpa Akpro.

Up the other end, Berahino forced Lucas into a good save in his last action before being replaced by Clinton Morrison, making his debut after joining on loan from Sheffield Wednesday on Thursday.

But instead it was Donaldson who would make his mark up front in the closing stages, lifting the roof off Griffin Park with a header from a Saunders free-kick to end his goal drought.

BEES: Lee, Logan, Osborne, Dean, Bidwell, Bean (Legge), Douglas, Forshaw (Diagouraga 23), Saunders, Berahino (Morrison 81), Donaldson. 

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