Brentford recovery continues with win at Bristol City
Bristol City 0 Brentford 1
Brentford earned back-to-back league victories for the first time since August with a narrow win at Ashton Gate.
The only goal of the game came midway through the second half when a Romaine Sawyers shot went in via a heavy deflection off Maxime Colin.
The Bees had ridden their luck at times – goalkeeper Dan Bentley made a couple of good saves to ensure they went in level at half-time, and City also struck the crossbar shortly after the break.
Brentford’s victory was all the more impressive given only the top two sides, Brighton and Newcastle, have beaten City on their own patch this season.
Hogan had the game’s first big chance, being denied by the leg of Robins goalkeeper Frank Fielding, who later went off injured.
Bentley then kept out Luke Freeman’s well-struck shot and tipped away Joe Bryan’s glancing header, before denying the Robins’ Chelsea loanee Tammy Abraham late in the first half.
Abraham should perhaps have done better than to strike the bar when well placed early in the second period and later lofted the ball beyond Bentley but wide when clean through.
At the other end, City’s substitute keeper Ivan Lucic had to rescue his side when Hogan was presented with a shooting chance by Scott Golbourne’s poor backpass.
Given the number of clear opportunities being missed, it was ironic the winning goal came via a fortunate deflection – but it moves Brentford above the Robins into 14th.
Brentford: Bentley; Dean, Egan, Bjelland; Colin, Yennaris (McEachran 67), Woods, Field (Barbet 79); Sawyers; Hogan, Vibe (Kaikai 85).
Subs not used: Bonham, Saunders, Kerschbaumer, Hofmann.
