KARLEIGH OSBORNE blasted referee Keith Stroud as 10-man Brentford slumped to defeat at Wycombe Wanderers on Tuesday night.

Stroud penalised the young defender for a handball two minutes into the second half and former Bee Matt Harrold came back to haunt his old side with the only goal of the game from the penalty spot.

The Hampshire official gifted Wycombe a chance to double their lead when James Wilson brought down Gareth Ainsworth, earning the Bristol City loanee a straight red card, only for Wojciech Szczesny to save Harrold's second spot-kick.

If that wasn't enough, Stroud - who has now sent off four players in the last three matches - denied Brentford a penalty of their own in the dying seconds when Kevin O'Connor's free kick appeared to strike the hand of a defender.

Osborne said: "I wasn't happy at all. For the first penalty, I was half a yard away, and my hand was by my side. I couldn't get out of the way. I'm devastated.

"Then James's tackle was outside of the area, but the ref thought it was a pen. I don't think we got the rub of the green, but that's football. Unfortunately things didn't go our way."

The Bees started the brighter at Adams Park, with John Bostock unlucky to see an early effort deflected wide.

But the hosts grew in confidence as the half wore on, and the visitors had Szczesny to thank for keeping the game goalless, twice denying Kevin Betsy.

The sides went in all-square at the break, but whatever Bees boss Andy Scott said to his side at the interval went up in smoke almost immediately, when Osborne was adjudged to have handled Michael Duberry's header.

Harrold coolly slotted home the resulting spot-kick to give the hosts a deserved lead.

Brentford's task was made even more difficult midway through the second period when Wilson was given his marching orders for hauling down Ainsworth, but Szczesny saved from the spot to keep Brentford in the game.

Scott threw on Carl Cort and Cleveland Taylor but they failed to make an impact, and despite five minutes' added time, they couldn't find their way back.

BEES: Szczesny 9, Wilson 5, Osborne 7, Balkestein 7, Foster 6, Bostock 6 (Cort 69, 6), O'Connor 6, Bean 6, Wood 6, MacDonald 6 (Murphy 25, 5 (Taylor 83, 5), Strevens 6.

Subs (not used): Moore, Bennett, Saunders, Hunt.