Half-time: Brentford 0 Preston 1
Brentford fell behind after just 32 seconds of an entertaining first half at Griffin Park.
A reshuffled Bees defence, with rare starts for Josh Clarke and Yoann Barbet, was immediately targeted by Preston who scored with their first attack.
Eoin Doyle’s cross found Stevie May in the middle, Bees keeper David Button came out to block but the ball fell to Daniel Johnson to stroke home.
Preston continued to dominate against a hesitant Brentford, with the influential May heading just wide, firing a shot narrowly over and testing Button with a free-kick.
Brentford weathered that storm and were denied an equaliser by an outstanding save from Jordan Pickford, who flew to his left to palm away a goalbound Barbet header.
Jake Bidwell then nodded into Pickford’s hands, while at the other end Button pushed over from Joel Garner’s header.
Brentford ended the half strongly, Marco Djuricin heading wide and Konstantin Kerschbaumer seeing a shot beaten away by Pickford.
Subs not used: Bonham, O’Connell, Canos, Woods, Udumaga, Tebar, Williams.
Preston: Pickford; Vermijl, Clarke, Huntington, Cunningham; Browne, Kilkenny, Johnson; Doyle; May, Garner.
Subs not used: Kirkland, Woods, Wright, Welsh, Brownhill, Humphrey, Keane.
