10:28am Monday 30th April 2012
By Simon Webster
Brentford’s playoff hopes were finally extinguished following this 2-1 defeat to Sheffield Wednesday at Griffin Park on Saturday.
Yet despite the defeat, the Bees were the better side and were unlucky not to take more from their final home game of the season.
Brentford threatened from the start, with Jake Bidwell crossing from the left and Jonathan Douglas firing wide after only five minutes.
For the Owls Keith Treacy shot over the bar on the turn from just outside the box.
Clayton Donaldson proved a menace up front, cutting in from the left and shooting just over the bar.
Gary Madine was then played through the middle and after Simon Moore booted the ball clear it fell straight to Treacy, but he fired over the bar.
After half an hour Sam Saunders rolled a free kick to Bidwell, whose shot was held by Stephen Bywater.
Douglas came close to putting the Bees ahead when he volleyed Harry Forester’s cross from the right against the bar from six yards out.
Sheffield Wednesday took the lead against the run of play just seven minutes before the break when Treacy’s free kick from wide on the right sneaked in at Moore’s front post.
Donaldson looked dangerous early in the second half after breaking into the box and seeing his shot deflected behind for a corner.
The Bees were back in the game just after the hour mark when Donaldson was bundled over by Mark Beavers inside the box. The striker made amends for his miss last week at Stevenage when he calmly slotted the ball down the middle and past Bywater.
However, parity was short-lived as the Owls re-took the lead only four minutes later when former Bee Miguel Llera headed in a cross from the right from six yards out.
The Bees continued to push forward, with Bywater holding an effort from substitute Niall McGinn and Douglas sending an overhead kick over the bar as the Owls did just enough to hold on and move into an automatic promotion spot in League One.
Brentford: Moore, Logan (sub Norris 82), Dean, Osborne, Balkestein (sub Bean 82); Forrester (sub McGinn 75), Douglas, Diagouraga, Bidwell, Saunders; Donaldson
Subs (not used): Legge, Thompson
Attendance: 7381
Man of the Match: Clayton Donaldson
Goals: Donaldson 62 (pen)
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