Bees sting Baggies with late equaliser
Posted Tuesday, December 04, 2018 by PA
Lewis MacLeod snatched a dramatic late point for Brentford as they stunned wasteful West Brom at The Hawthorns.
The substitute’s stoppage-time header earned a 1-1 draw after the Bees survived a first-half onslaught from the Baggies.
Leicester loanee Harvey Barnes looked to have given Albion victory 13 minutes from time but the hosts were left to rue their profligacy.
Jay Rodriguez missed an open goal while Hal Robson-Kanu headed wide and Matt Phillips hit the bar during a dominant first half.
Albion still moved up to third in the Sky Bet Championship, five points behind leaders Norwich and four behind second-placed Leeds.
Sam Johnstone denied Emiliano in a rare Brentford attack but the 17th-placed visitors claimed a morale-boosting point having lost six of their previous seven games under Thomas Frank.
The visitors had not beaten the Baggies in the league since 1948 and rarely looked like ending the wait as Albion threatened to run riot.
Rodriguez should have opened the scoring after three minutes but he somehow diverted Barnes’ excellent cross over from point blank range.
Undeterred, the hosts kept a fast early tempo with Barnes and Phillips a constant threat on the flanks.
Albion were well on top and Robson-Kanu and Rodriguez just failed to get telling touches on Phillips’ wicked delivery after 25 minutes.
A minute later Robson-Kanu missed his own glorious chance when planted a six-yard header wide from Kieran Gibbs’ chipped cross.
It seemed only a matter of time before Albion scored and Phillips stung Dan Bentley’s palms, with Robson-Kanu missing his kick on the rebound.
Phillips and Barnes continued to tease the Brentford defence, who had survived the opening half an hour more through luck than judgement, and Bentley was forced to turn Phillips’ looping effort wide.
The Bees, watched by former boss Dean Smith who takes his Aston Villa side to The Hawthorns on Friday, were an attacking non-entity with 13-goal Neal Maupay anonymous.
But Albion were forced to go in at the break level following one final chance when Phillips’ swerving strike from 25 yards struck the bar.
Dwight Gayle replaced Robson-Kanu at the break but the interval checked the Baggies’ momentum.
Brentford dug in and, as the game wore on, Albion became more frustrated – nearly falling behind after 67 minutes.
Moses Odubajo crossed for Emiliano and it took a fine reflex stop from the previously underworked Johnstone to turn the ball wide.
Albion finally got their goal with 13 minutes left when Barnes netted his eighth of the season and third strike in four games.
He latched onto Phillips’ low cross and when Chris Mepham blocked his initial shot, Barnes drove high into the net from 10 yards.
But MacLeod nodded in Emiliano’s cross from 10 yards in injury time to deny the Baggies victory.
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