BARRETT ROCKED BY DEADLY BEES
SHELL-shocked Millwall caretaker boss Adam Barrett “couldn’t believe” his side squandered a two-goal lead at Brentford.
Goals from Tom Bradshaw and Jed Wallace gave the Lions a two-goal cushion, but three goals in the final 10 minutes from Josh Dasilva, Bryan Mbeumo and Ollie Watkins saw them leave west London pointless.
“It’s a bit of a shock really and I couldn’t believe it. At 2-0 we looked comfortable and they had almost run out of ideas,” said Barrett.
“Their first goal changed the momentum of the game and gave them belief and their tails were up. Then they get a wicked deflection for their second and we didn’t see the game out and when you’re two up away from home in this division, you have to come away and see the game out.”
Barrett, who had been told to prepare the team for this and their previous game against Leeds, hailed his players’ application.
“They’ve been outstanding for the last two weeks, have worked hard and prepared as best as we can,” he added.
“We put ourselves in the best position today and should have seen it out, but didn’t.
“The first came from a throw in where we weren’t set up properly and that changed the momentum – they are the little details at this level where you get punished.”
Brentford took the lead on half-time, Bradshaw tapping home from close range after Bees keeper David Raya could only parry Jayson Molumby’s low drive into his path.
They stretched their advantage 10 minutes after the break, Wallace finishing coolly from the spot after Watkins hauled Shaun Hutchinson to the ground from a corner.
It was a suckerpunch for Brentford, who dominated possession and created a string of clear-cut chances, but lacked any real cutting edge.
That changed in dramatic fashion at the end when substitute Dasilva cooly passed home.
Four minutes later they were level, sub Mbeumo chancing his arm with a speculative shot which took a deflection and looped up and over Bialkowski into the far corner.
Brentford poured forward for the winner and the Millwall defence failed to deal with a Said Benrahma cross which was recycled and ended at the foot of top scorer Watkins, who half volleyed it home.
Seconds before the finale the game threatened to boil over when Wallace flew in studs up on keeper David Raya, sparking a 14-man brawl. The striker escaped with a yellow along with the Bees Julian Jeanvier.
Brentford were dealt a further blow just before the break when their only recognised centre forward Nikos Karelis was stretched off after falling awkwardly.
Brentford head coach Thomas Frank said his side’s never-say-die spirit marked a “massive turning point” in their season.
“I think we fully deserved to win. When you are 2-0 down with six minutes to go, to have that capacity, strength and character to turn it around is massive,” he said.
“Once we scored we had momentum and when you get that anything can happen, especially at Griffin Park.”