Brentford 2-1 Nottingham Forest: Player ratings as Bees complete dramatic turnaround
By Sean Walsh
FROM GTECH COMMUNITY STADIUM - Nottingham Forest were cruelly denied a second away win of the Premier League season after succumbing to a late 2-1 loss at Brentford.
Steve Cooper's men defended with resilience but ran out of luck in the closing stages as the Bees battled from a goal down to claim all three points.
The first half nearly came and went without a chance until a long Brentford throw-in caused some chaos just before the break, with Keylor Navas grabbing Ethan Pinnock's quick snap-shot at the second attempt.
And with the final kick of the opening 45, Forest went ahead. Moussa Niakhate's throw fell to Morgan Gibbs-White on the edge of the box, and his deflected strike was poked in from close range by Danilo.
After the break, an improvised overhead kick from Niakhate caught David Raya off guard, but the Spaniard was able to parry the effort away from danger.
Ben Mee then tried an overhead kick of his own from a corner, but this one sailed over the top.
But despite showing little threat for much of the game, Brentford found a leveller in the final ten minutes. Ivan Toney's low free-kick was palmed onto the inside of the post by Navas, but he was unable to keep hold of the ball and it bounced over the line.
Forest were in danger of wilting under the pressure and had Navas to thank for reacting quickly to a deflected half-volley from Frank Onyeka, with most of the Gtech Community Stadium expecting the ball to have crossed the line again.
Danilo had to be withdrawn with injury after Forest used all their substitute breaks and so Forest went into seven minutes of stoppage time with only ten men.
Aaron Hickey flashed a shot narrowly past the post soon after as Brentford sought to claim a late winner.
And in the dying embers, Forest's hearts were broken. Josh Dasilva weaved in from the right and squeezed a shot in at the near post, which VAR allowed to stand after a lengthy check for an offside against Yoane Wissa, who was played on by a literal toe.
Brentford player ratings (4-3-3)
GK: David Raya - 5/10 - Barely troubled for the most part.
RB: Aaron Hickey - 6/10 - Covered the ground behind him well as Brentford pushed on for a goal.
CB: Ethan Pinnock - 7/10 - Went closest for the hosts, which is an indictment on their poor attacking.
CB: Ben Mee - 7/10 - Won most of his duels.
LB: Rico Henry - 5/10 - Unable to stretch play in a losing battle with Aurier.
DM: Vitaly Janelt - 5/10 - Nearly played his team into trouble on a few occasions.
CM: Mikkel Damsgaard - 5/10 - Flittered between the lines but was rarely found.
CM: Mathias Jensen - 4/10 - Made some rather sloppy and strange decisions in possession.
RW: Bryan Mbeumo - 5/10 - Forest pinned him down on either flank.
CF: Ivan Toney - 6/10 - Hardly involved at all until his free-kick squirmed through Navas.
LW: Kevin Schade - 5/10 - Showed a few sparks of ingenuity but nothing prolonged.
Substitutes
Josh Dasilva (58' for Damsgaard) - 8/10 - Changed the game. Won the game.
Yoane Wissa (58' for Henry) - 6/10
Shandon Baptiste (71' for Jensen) - 6/10
Frank Onyeka (71' for Janelt) - 6/10
Saman Ghoddos (77' for Schade) - 5/10
Manager
Thomas Frank - 6/10 - Brentford were stale throughout and were bailed out with a heavy dose of luck in the end. Or Frank emptied his bench and found the winning goal they needed. Either/or.
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Nottingham Forest player ratings (3-4-3)
GK: Keylor Navas - 3/10 - Cost his side late on with the own goal.
CB: Joe Worrall - 7/10 - Had very little trouble in his battles on the right side of defence.
CB: Felipe - 7/10 - Got his head on absolutely everything.
CB: Moussa Niakhate - 7/10 - His throws caused real problems for a team famed for their own throw-in proficiency.
RM: Serge Aurier - 6/10 - A reliable defender, which hasn't exactly been the story of his career.
CM: Orel Mangala - 6/10 - Stayed alert in the midfield battle.
CM: Danilo - 8/10 - Grabbed the opener and nipped into challenges with the stealth of a pick-pocketer.
LM: Renan Lodi - 5/10 - Didn't look convincing at the back.
RF: Brennan Johnson - 5/10 - Unable to get at the Brentford defence despite his obvious pace and trickery.
LF: Morgan Gibbs-White - 5/10 - Ran with the ball but his final pass was lacking.
CF: Taiwo Awoniyi - 5/10 - Threw himself into every challenge and created a sense of unrest among Brentford defenders but couldn't control the ball too well.
Substitutes
Andre Ayew (54' for Awoniyi) - 5/10
Cheikhou Kouyate (65' for Johnson) - 6/10
Ryan Yates (81' for Mangala) - N/A
Manager
Steve Cooper - 7/10 - Forest defended magnificently and kept their shape well. They were not the inferior team despite the result.