The 2014-15 campaign saw Brentford return to the second tier of English football for the first time in 21 years following their promotion from League One in the previous season.
Manager Mark Warburton, who had guided his side to a club-record points tally in finishing second in the 2013-14 campaign, set about strengthening the squad with a number of incomings during the summer.
The likes of Andre Gray, Moses Odubajo and Jota were among those to arrive, although they did also lose key players such as Clayton Donaldson and Adam Forshaw.
The departures did not seem to affect the Bees, however, as they enjoyed a hugely successful opening half of the season and go into 2015 competing for a playoff place.
August
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There was drama right from the opening match at Griffin Park, with Tommy Smith scoring a late goal on his debut to rescue a point against London rivals Charlton Athletic in their first outing of the season. That was nothing compared to the events a few days later, however, as Brentford took on Dagenham & Redbridge in the first round of the League Cup.
A remarkable match finished 6-6 after two late goals in normal time and four more in the additional 30 minutes, before Brentford's perfect penalty performance saw them through. They fell to their first defeat of the season that weekend, though, as Bournemouth edged to a 1-0 victory at Dean Court.
Warburton's side were quick to bounce back, however, recording their first win back in the Championship with a come-from-behind victory over Blackpool. A 1-1 draw with Birmingham City followed, although the Bees were forced to play the majority of that match with 10 men following Tony Craig's 15th-minute red card.
Defeat at home to Fulham in the second round of the League Cup saw them still looking for their first home win of the season, but they made it three games unbeaten in the league to finish the month as Gray and Nick Proschwitz guided them to a 2-0 victory over Rotherham United.
September
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September began with an early injury blow for the Bees as Scott Hogan was ruled out for most of the season with ligament damage, while Forshaw's move to Wigan Athletic was confirmed on deadline day. That didn't affect their performance on the field against Brighton & Hove Albion, though, as Brentford picked up their first home win of the campaign.
They were unable to build on that, however, falling to a 3-0 defeat to Norwich City at Griffin Park, with the Canaries scoring all of their goals in the second half. Brentford conceded three more goals in the second half of their next match too as Middlesbrough ran out 4-0 victors to make it back-to-back convincing defeats for Warburton's side.
Jota netted his first goal in English football to help Brentford end that run with a 2-0 victory over Leeds United, although the month ended with a 2-1 defeat at the hands of Watford, leaving the Bees 12th in the Championship table.
October
October began with a home victory over Reading, but that was to be their final win of the month. Former manager Uwe Rosler welcomed the Bees to town for the first time since joining Wigan after the international break, but the two teams cancelled each other out as the match ended goalless.
There was another 0-0 draw against Sheffield Wednesday in their next outing, but Brentford could not make it three clean sheets in a row when they travelled to face Bolton Wanderers at the Macron Stadium. The Trotters, buoyed by the arrival of Neil Lennon earlier that month, ran out 3-1 winners in a match that also saw Alan McCormack pick up a lengthy injury.
November
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November was the month that really saw Brentford's season take off, with their 100% record resulting in Warburton and Gray winning the Manager of the Month and Player of the Month awards respectively. They began with the visit of league leaders Derby County, when Stuart Dallas scored in injury time to seal a 2-1 comeback victory and knock the Rams off top spot.
Nottingham Forest were next to fall as Brentford eased to a 3-1 victory at The City Ground, while there were three more goals away from home against London rivals Millwall in a 3-2 win just a few days later. Gray netted a brace in that match to make it four goals in his last three games for the club.
Their winning run looked like it was coming to an end after the international break as Fulham held the lead at Griffin Park, but two goals in the final 10 minutes made it four on the bounce for the Bees. They saved the best until last, however, ending the month with a 4-0 drubbing of Wolverhampton Wanderers to leave them in the playoff places.
December
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The streak came to an end in the first match of December, however, and it was a disappointing one for Brentford as Huddersfield Town upset the form book to win 2-1. The Bees bounced back with victory over Blackburn Rovers in their next match, though, strengthening their unlikely bid for a top-six finish.
Three goals in the first half of their final match before Christmas saw Warburton's men take control against Cardiff City, but the Bluebirds responded after the break and Brentford were forced to hold on for a 3-2 victory in South Wales. They were on the wrong end of a quick start in their top-three clash on Boxing Day as Ipswich Town scored in the opening minute on their way to a 4-2 victory, while defeat to 10-man Wolves two days later made it back-to-back losses to end the year.
Star man: Alan Judge
Must do better: Nick Proschwitz
Where to strengthen in January: Defence
Position at start of 2015: 6th
Mid-season grade: A-
To see Brentford's remaining fixtures in 2014-15, click here.
Barney Corkhill
