Bees see off promotion-chasing Leeds
Brentford 2 Leeds United 0
Brentford produced a carbon copy of Saturday’s win over Bristol City – with two first half goals securing another impressive victory.
They have had the better of Leeds in the recent past and once again made the play-off chasing Yorkshire side look decidedly ordinary.
Romaine Sawyers and Lasse Vibe – with his 13th goal of the season – put Dean Smith’s side firmly in charge, and despite the visitors showing signs of life after the break, they were unable to find a way back.
The Bees took the lead on 19 minutes with a blistering counter-attack, led by Jota.
The flying winger fed Sergi Canos on the left edge of the area and although former QPR keeper Rob Green parried the first effort, Sawyers followed up with an unerring drive into the bottom corner of the net.
Kyle Bartley missed a golden opportunity to restore parity for Leeds when he was left unmarked at the back post from a corner. Luckily for the Bees, his header was misdirected and the danger passed.
Vibe, who had moments earlier almost found the net after latching onto a pass inside the area, doubled the lead after 34 minutes, reacting quickest to slide the ball home from close range after Green had parried a low shot from Canos.
Green then had to be alert to keep out another effort from Canos soon after, as the home side threatened to really cut loose.
After the break, Modou Barrow forced Dan Bentley to get down quickly to his left hand post to keep the visitors at bay, but as at the weekend, the two-goal cushion ensured a largely comfortable evening.
Jota had one curling free-kick tipped over the bar by Green in the final quarter and Vibe was denied by Green, but the job had already been done.
Brentford: Bentley; Clarke, Dean, Barbet, Henry; Woods (Kerschbaumer 84); Jota, Yennaris (McCormack 67), Sawyers, Canos (Jozefzoon 73); Vibe. Subs not used: Bonham, Hofmann, Egan, Field.
