Brentford vs Swansea City. Sky Bet Championship.
Griffin ParkAttendance9,442.
Brentford's poor form continues as they fall to defeat against Swansea
Saturday 8 December 2018 19:17, UK
Brentford slumped to their seventh defeat in nine games with a 3-2 home defeat at the hands of Swansea.
Wayne Routledge, a Chris Mepham own goal and Leroy Fer put the visitors three up in a dream first half that left the rattled Bees reeling.
Ollie Watkins and Said Benrahma gave the hosts hope but squandered a string of clear-cut chances to pull off an unlikely comeback.
Swansea took just 25 seconds to break the deadlock, Barrie MacKay robbing hesitant Bees centre-back Ezri Konsa before squaring for Routledge to bundle home from close range.
They made it two midway through the half as Nathan Dyer cut the home defence to ribbons and his low cross eluded everyone but Brentford centre-back Mepham who could only watch as the ball bounced off him and into the gaping net.
And Swans made it three just before the half-hour when Ollie McBurnie's audacious overhead kick dropped kindly for Fer who slotted home from eight yards.
Watkins reduced the arrears just after the interval, heading home from close range when Josh McEachran's 20-yard piledriver bounced back off the bar.
And Benrahma gave the Griffin Park faithful hope on 69 minutes with a delightful curling free-kick up and over the Swans wall that gave keeper Erwin Mulder no chance.
The only downside for the visitors was the loss of Martin Olsson, carried off with a suspected Achilles injury after an eight-minute delay with just four minutes gone.
Brentford had their chances in the first 45, Benrahma twice going close and seeing a long-range drive clip the top of the bar as Brentford tried to find a foothold in the game.
Matthew Grimes also went close for the Swans but his dipping 20-yard drive flew just over, before Neal Maupay's shot failed to lack the conviction to test Mulder.
The half-hour of chaos left a shaky Brentford looking shell-shocked but they managed a reply just before the break that gave them momentum in the second half.
And Daniel Bentley was forced into a full-length save at the foot of his post after Joe Rodon found acres of space at the back post and should have scored with a powerful downward header.
Brentford looked brighter after the break but Bentley still had to be at his best early on to deny McBurnie, first from a header and then a shot from the edge of the area.
Brentford really should have got themselves back into it earlier but Maupay, in acres of space with just the keeper to beat, dithered and the chance was gone.
Skipper Romain Sawyers fizzed a 25-yard drive just past the upright and Alan Judge fired feebly wide as Brentford laid siege to the visitors' goal.
Benrahma's free-kick ensured a nail-biting finale for the visitors, but when substitute Sergi Canos' acrobatic volley from a Henrik Dalsgaard knock down flashed off the bar the game was up.
Thomas Frank: "We felt the draw at West Brom was a turning point that would give us momentum that we could build on back at Griffin Park. We prepared well, trained well and then we are behind after 20 seconds,.
"The first half-an-hour was like a horror movie and it got more and more scary. We are making too many simple mistakes. They had three chances on target and scored three goals within 27 minutes and you think, 'How does that happen?'"
Graham Potter: "We were three up and doing things really well and then we conceded and the home crowd turned. We knew the game game was still alive and started the second half well, had chances to put the game to bed, but didn't take them and then anything can happen.
"Any three points will be hard fought in this division. We had a little luck and they missed some good chances so all in all it was a great game for the neutral, but horrible for me and their manager."
