Middlesbrough 4-0 Brentford
Brentford could have few complaints after being comprehensively beaten 4-0 by a clinical Middlesbrough side this afternoon.
Only four days before, the Bees were highly unfortunate to go down 3-0 at home to Norwich City after dominating for long spells and having key decisions go against them.
But there were no such straws to clutch at at the Riverside Stadium as Mark Warburton's men had no answer to the attacking talents of their hosts.
It was all Boro from the off, with David Button saving at feet of Albert Adomah, who seemed to be expecting an offside flag which never came, before Emilio Nsue chipped over after being allowed the space to run and shoot.
Adomah, who started his career playing park football barely a mile from Griffin Park in Chiswick, had a goal disallowed for offside on the half hour mark, then was almost allowed in again following a failure in communication between Button and James Tarkowski.
But the warnings were not heeded, and skipper Grant Leadbitter put Boro in front with a 40 yard screamer before almost adding a second from similar range soon after.
Alex Pritchard put over a chance for the Bees as half time approached, but four minutes after the break it was 2-0, the Bees back four failing to pick up Adomah as he converted a Leadbitter cross from close range.
Andre Grey did well to draw a save from home keeper Dimi Konstantopoulos, who was then also tested by Jota, as Brentford looked for a way back, but after Adomah found only the side netting when he should have done better, Chelsea loanee Patrick Bamford made the game safe with a header from a corner with 22 minutes left.
As Boro pushed for a fourth, Dean Whitehead chipped just over and Button saved well from Nsue, but not even going down to 10 men when Whitehead was sent off for a nasty tackle on Judge was going to stop the hosts, who iced the cake with two minutes remaining when sub Kike caught the Bees back four napping and chipped a stranded Button.
BEES : Button, McCormack, Dean, Tarkowski, Bidwell, Douglas, Pritchard, Odubajo (Toral 74), Judge, Jota (Proschwitz 65), Gray (Tebar 64). Subs not used: Bonham, Craig, Betinho, Moore.
