Vit & able

LAST-GASP JANELT SAVES BEES

YOU simply cannot count Brentford out – until the final whistle is blown.

That was the painful lesson that Crystal Palace learned at the Gtech Community Stadium as substitute Vitaly Janelt’s header – the very last touch of the match – saved a precious point for the Bees.

Palace, thanks to another substitute in Eberechi Eze, had looked on course for their first win in eight games until Janelt thumped in his header from the never-say-die Bryan Mbeumo’s cross in the sixth minute of injury time.

There was not even time to kick-off again – and that will have come as a kick in the teeth for Palace and manager Patrick Vieira.

The Bees are now undefeated in 11 league games, stretching back to October and their push for European football is still on.

But a battling Palace had deserved something. After a determined display Vieira dropped the skilful 24-year-old Eze recently as Palace’s form dipped following the World Cup.

But Michael Olise picked him out with an accurate chip and Eze raced through to head home.

Brentford had largely dominated a dull game up until then. They should have led early on, when Christian Norgaard fired wide.

What danger Vieira’s team offered early on came mainly through the elusive Olise, who forced an excellent save from Bees keeper David Raya.

Palace were doing a good job stopping a sluggish Brentford from playing, but Mbeumo nearly prised them open when he beat two men in a mazy run, only to cut his low shot just wide.

Palace had created very little, though Jeffrey Schlupp put his diving header wide – but twice Norgaard went close as he glanced a header wide and then saw Vicente Guaita save his volley. BRENTFORD: Raya 7; Hickey 6 (Lewis-potter (76) 6), Mee 7, Pinnock 6, Henry 6 (Janelt (76) 6); Dasilva 6 (Damsgaard (61) 6), Norgaard 7 (Baptiste (83) 6), Jensen 6; Mbeumo 8, Toney 6, Wissa 6 (Schade (61) 6) CRYSTAL PALACE: Guaita 7; Clyne 7, Andersen 7, Guehi 7, Mitchell 6 (Richards (81) 6); Olise 7 (Ahamada (79) 6), Doucoure 6, Lokonga 6 (Eze (61) 8), Schlupp 7; Ayew 7, Mateta 6 (Edouard (79) 6) STAR MAN: Bryan Mbeumo – Never stopped trying and it was his cross that saved the day for the Bees. REF: Paul Tierney 7