Brentford survived a scare to progress in the Carabao Cup at AFC Wimbledon's expense.
The Bees found themselves trailing after Paul Robinson converted from a corner to give the Dons the lead, albeit against the run of play.
Brentford were snatching at chances but found themselves back on level terms midway through the second half after a fine run from Nico Yennaris. The skipper for the evening was being fouled but stayed on his feet before feeding Romaine Sawyers, who drilled the ball into the net.
Neither side could force a winner in normal time and the Bees took the lead, eventually, midway through extra time as Ollie Watkins curled home his maiden goal for the west Londoners.
There was joy for B team graduate Justin Shaibu as he wrapped up the win in the dying moments before Alfie Egan hit the post with what would have been a late consolation.
Below are five talking points to take from the game.
Captain Nico
Following Dean Smith's decision to take the captaincy away from Harlee Dean due to the uncertainty surrounding his future, it was Nico Yennaris who led the Bees against AFC Wimbledon.
Dean's style of leadership was very much up and at them and he provided constant encouragement to his troops while predecessor Jake Bidwell was very much a lead by example captain.
Yennaris, on the other hand, was somewhere in between. Like Bidwell, he's a quiet achiever and has shown himself to be the sort of player that glues the side together.
The midfielder though was very communicative with his team-mates and he was quick to pull Josh Clarke up for not tracking his man properly.
I'd have liked to have seen him in the referee's ear a bit more, in a respectful way of course, when it came to George Long's handball outside the area but managing referees is something that comes with experience.
Back in the ranks
Now, in my opinion, the captaincy was a factor in bringing about a new level of performance from Harlee Dean, who was my player of the season last term.
It was, though, pleasing to see the defender perform to his usual high standards and the lack of armband doesn't seem to faze him.
That being said, his long-term future at the club is clearly up in the air and, while there have been no bids, this move appears to suggest that Brentford are happy to let him go in the summer.
Dean has seen the Bees develop over the past six years and he has grown up with the club.
Impressive Ilias
There was a Brentford debut for Ilias Chatzitheodoridis at left back, following the decision to allow Tom Field to leave on loan.
The Greek youngster had a solid 97 minutes, making some good tackles and didn't make any serious mistakes.
With Mads Bech Sørensen joining the club as a left back for Brentford B there is fierce competition for places there.
That being said, were Rico Henry to suffer an injury or suspension, I have every faith that Chatzitheodoridis can come in and do a solid job.
Smith bonds with fans
Dean Smith's relationship with the fans has normally been what I would describe as arms' length.
He hasn't endured the seeming unwavering support that Martin Allen and Mark Warburton once enjoyed during certain spells of their management reign.
However, he's not been vilified in the way previous managers were, notably Leroy Rosenior.
With Brentford fans behind the away dugout and close to the pitch it meant that the club and management team could bond with the team's most dedicated fans.
There clearly was some banter between the pair and Smith's demeanour, as well as sense of humour, earned him a lot of friends in the away end.
Squad rotation is king
With 10 changes made from the side beaten at Sheffield United it means that every fit member of the senior squad has had minutes during the first two games of the season.
As Smith has the largest amount of players he has ever had at his disposal it made the need to progress in this competition greater.
Had they gone out then the Bees boss would have to look for a way to rotate his squad more and keep them happy.
With a second round game taking place at the end of the month, it does give every member of the team a chance to play in at least two games.
