Bees closer to play-offs after deserved victory over QPR

Brentford 2 QPR 1


Florian Jozefzoon’s winner boosted Brentford’s play-off hopes, giving them a deserved victory in a west London derby they dominated for large spells.

It moved the Bees up to eighth in the table, just a point behind sixth-placed Millwall with two matches remaining.

They were leading through Sergi Canos’ 16th-minute goal when they were awarded a penalty a couple of minutes before half-time after Ollie Watkins was brought down by Matt Ingram after racing on to Romaine Sawyers’ through-ball.

QPR keeper Ingram escaped with a yellow card and then saved Watkins’ weak spot-kick.

And Rangers equalised completely against the run of play before the interval when Idrissa Sylla tapped in the loose ball after keeper Dan Bentley had parried Massimo Luongo’s shot.

Ingram went off after Sylla’s goal, having been injured while making the challenge Brentford would no-doubt have seen as a pivotal moment in the game had they not regained the lead.

But regain it they did, courtesy of Jozefzoon’s cool finish midway through the second half.

Substitute Kamohelo Mokotjo laid the ball off to the Dutch winger, who cleverly dodged former Brentford man Jake Bidwell before slotting into far corner.

Brentford: Bentley, Dalsgaard, Mepham, Egan, Barbet, Jozefzoon, Woods, Sawyers, Canos (Yennaris 80), Macleod (Mokotjo 65), Watkins (Maupay 45).
Subs not used: Daniels, Bjelland, McEachran, Clarke.

QPR: Ingram (Smithies 45), Kakay, Furlong, Baptiste, Bidwell (Manning 73), Scowen, Luongo, Freeman, Smyth (Smith 72), Sylla, Wszolek.
Subs  not used: Perch, Cousins, Osayi-Samuel, Eze.