Darren Bent scored a stoppage-time equaliser as Derby County earned a 1-1 draw against Brentford at Pride Park this afternoon.
The Bees took the lead in the first half when Alex Pritchard curled a strike beyond Lee Grant and into the far corner.
They had numerous chances to add a second goal and Andre Gray twice fired wide from inside the box.
However, they were punished for those missed attempts in the second minute of added time, as Bent latched onto Jeff Hendrick's mishit shot to earn his side a vital point in their bid for promotion.
Find out how the action unfolded below.
Hello everyone! We've got another massive day of Championship action and we're kicking it off with two teams still in the promotion hunt. It's fifth against seventh, as Derby take on Brentford in a crucial match at Pride Park.
Just six weeks ago Derby were at the top of the Championship and had a five-point buffer in the race for automatic promotion. However, a run of eight games without a win saw them drop to sixth in the table and left them clinging on for a play in the play offs. They bounced back to form with a victory over Wigan on Monday and they will be hoping that it signals a turn in fortunes in the last month of the season.
Their opponents today are a Brentford side who are just one point behind in the table. It really would be remarkable if they could achieve back-to-back promotions, but their chances of going up have been hindered by recent home games against Millwall and Nottingham Forest, where each time they battled back from two goals down to earn draws.
TEAM NEWS: Derby have made a couple of changes to their starting lineup, as Chris Martin starts in the attack alongside Darren Bent, while Craig Bryson is drafted into the midfield to replace the suspended Will Hughes. There's just the one alteration for Brentford, with Jonathan Douglas replacing Stuart Dallas.
DERBY XI: Grant, Forsyth, Keogh, Albentosa, Warnock, Hendrick, Russell, Bryson, Ince, Martin, Bent
BRENTFORD XI: Button, Odubajo, Dean, Tarkowski, Bidwell, Diagouraga, Jota, Pritchard, Judge, Douglas, Gray
DERBY SUBS: Roos, Dawkins, Ward, Lingard, Whitbread, Hanson, Thomas
BRENTFORD SUBS: Craig, McCormack, Dallas, Bonham, Toral, Smith, O'Connell
I'm sure you've already had a look at our preview for today's match, but if you haven't you can see our thoughts on the encounter right here.
As I mentioned, Derby have been in poor form recently but they did manage to pick up all three points against lowly Wigan in their last match. Second-half goals from Chris Martin and Darren Bent earned them a 2-0 win that has kept alive their Premier League hopes. Another victory today would move them to within two points of the automatic promotion places and after last season's defeat in the play-off final to QPR they will surely do everything that they can to finish inside the top two.
Brentford warmed up for today's match by battling to a 2-2 draw against Nottingham Forest. It looked as if they would he heading for a defeat when Tyler Walker and Todd Kane gave the visitors the lead with 13 minutes of the game left. Andre Gray pulled one back with 10 minutes left and then in the fifth minute of stoppage time Jota headed in to level the scores and earn what could yet be a vital point.
When these teams met in the reverse fixture back in November, it was the Bees who claimed the points. Derby had gone into the match as the league leaders and they took the lead thanks to a strike from Chris Martin. Brentford hit back after the break and Andre Gray equalised before Stuart Dallas scored the winner in stoppage time to steal the three points.
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KICKOFF! We are underway at Pride Park!
Derby are seeing a lot of the ball in the early stages of this match, but every time they are in possession Brentford are working incredibly hard to close them down. When the visitors do win the ball back, they look a threat on the counter attack and they have already shown glimpses of danger down the flanks.
Diagouraga is lucky not to pick up an early booking for the visitors after a crunching late tackle on Ince. He gets away with only a stern talking to from the referee, but it has given Derby a free kick in a promising area.
CLOSE! From the resulting free kick Derby come close to making the breakthrough. It's Ince who takes the set piece and he fires in a low effort aiming for the bottom corner that heads narrowly wide of the post.
YELLOW CARD! Brentford escaped a card just moments ago, but Tarkowski is booked here by the referee for a foul on Keogh.
SAVE! Ince has looked lively in the opening minutes and he has another chance after being found in space by Martin just inside the box. He then looks to curl a strike into the far corner, but Button gets across his line well and palms the ball to safety.
This has been a great start by Derby and the only thing missing at the moment is a goal. They look like creating chances every time they get into the Brentford half and the likes of Ince and Bent have given the visiting defenders plenty of headaches.
After that recent spell of pressure from Derby, the game has just settled down a bit and Brentford are starting to grow into the contest. They have been able to get the ball down and play it with confidence around their midfielders in more advanced areas of the pitch.
SAVE! The visitors work their first real opening of the match after a very good team move. They work the ball around on the edge of the box, before chipping it into Jota. He then heads it on towards Odubajo, who fires in a strike across goal that is well-saved by Grant.
There's no doubt that Brentford are on top at the moment and they are seeing plenty of the ball. Some of their play and the movement of their forward players has been great to watch and it would be no shock to see them score the first goal of the match.
SHOT! Half-chance on goal for the visitors here, as the ball is played short from a corner to Judge, who then whips a cross to the back post that Tarkowski can only put wide under heavy pressure.
CLOSE! It's close again from the visitors who win a free kick in a central position 25 yards out from goal. Judge steps up to take it and he curls in a free kick looking for the top-right-corner that just edges wide of the post.
You can sense the frustration around Pride Park, as the supporters know that this match is getting away from their team. They looked so good in the opening 10 minutes, but since then they have struggled to get on the ball and when they have won possession, they have conceded it extremely cheaply.
GOAL! Derby County 0-1 Brentford (Alex Pritchard)
Brentford take a deserved lead and you can't say that this hasn't been coming. It's a goal of real quality, as Pritchard cuts in from the left and bends a beautiful low strike into the far corner and out of Grant's reach.
So, what does that goal do the table? As things stand, Brentford will move above Derby and Wolves and up to fifth place, but of course it's far too early to talk about such permutations just 30 minutes into the game.
SHOT! Brentford are looking for a second goal and Pritchard tries his luck from range again. Instead of curling the ball, he hammers in a fierce effort, but it's straight at the keeper who makes the save.
Chances at both ends of the pitch, as Brentford threaten from a corner, with Jota flicking the ball up and seeing his shot blocked, before Tarkowski fires wide. Moments later Derby are on the attack and from a tight angle inside the box Ince drills in a low strike that forces Button into a stop.
I'm sure that McClaren will be desperate to get his player into the dressing room as just haven't performed in this first half. Instead of equalising before the break, it seems more likely that they will concede again, with Brentford very much on the front foot.
Bent has been starved of service for much of this first half, but if you can get him the ball in the box you've always got a chance. He nearly does have an opportunity here, as Bryson teases a great delivery into the box that is just an inch too high for the striker as he arrived at the back post.
We are going to have two minutes added on to the end of this first half.
SHOT! Brentford are still causing Derby all manner of problems and after forcing their opponents into giving away the ball on the edge of the box, Pritchard sees his powerful attempt blocked. Shortly after Jota lashes in a strike from range that is hit straight at the relived Grant.
HALF-TIME: Derby County 0-1 Brentford
Boos ring out around Pride Park as the whistle blows for half time. The home side have been outplayed for large spells this afternoon and Alex Pritchard's goal has given Brentford a deserved lead. Their playoff hopes really are hanging in the balance and Steve McClaren needs a big performance from his players in the second half.
The statistics from the opening 45 minutes largely back up just how dominant Brentford have been. The Bees have seen 58% of the possession and they have looked very accomplished on the ball. They have also had nine shots on goal compared to four from the hosts, with most of Derby's efforts coming in the opening minutes.
At this vital stage in the season, a win today for Brentford could be the difference between them reaching the playoffs and just missing out on the top six. They will be up to fifth with a win and will have 73 points on the board. That's just three away from second-placed Norwich, so an automatic promotion spot is not entirely out of the picture.
Derby take the kick off and get the second half started!
SUBSTITUTION: The hosts have made a change at the break, with Dawkins coming on for Russell, who has been suffering from illness and was not able to reemerge from the dressing room.
It's Brentford who are still in charge in the early moments of this second half. They are looking calm and composed in possession and they are still playing a high-tempo pressing game.
CHANCE! What a chance this is for Brentford to double their lead. Jota's shot causes problems inside the box and it ends up deflecting into the path of Douglas, who pokes it through to Gray. The striker takes a touch and he steadies himself before sending an effort goalwards, but it takes a slight deflection and heads wide of the post.
MISS! Once again Gray comes agonizingly close for the visitors. This time he is found inside the box and turns his marker, before firing in a strike that goes inches wide. Will his team be made to pay for his two wayward efforts?
SHOT! The pressure from Brentford is showing no signs of stopping and they have forced a number of corners since the break. This time they try something a bit different, as it is floated to Judge on the edge of the box. The Irishman then attempts to volley an effort into the far corner, but he doesn't make great contact with the ball and places it well wide.
Derby have been a shambles at the back in this second half and they are not even dealing with the simplest of long balls into their box. Perhaps it is expected that their confidence would be low coming into this match, with just one win from their previous eight.
Having shown very little threat, Derby are almost in behind when Dawkins threads a brilliant ball looking for the run of Bent. The striker looks the favourite to get onto the pass, but Button is quickly off his line and makes a superb stop low at the striker's feet.
With just over an hour gone, Derby are starting to put some pressure on the Brentford defence. They have got into some decent crossing positions, but at the moment the visitors have got everyone behind the ball and are continuing to repel their attacks.
Derby fans were holding their breaths for a second, as Martin was down in the centre of the pitch. He has already missed a few weeks with injury and it has coincided with their bad run, but fortunately he is back up on his feet in no time and he looks fine to continue.
OFF THE LINE! How many more chances are Brentford going to get this afternoon? Jota does well down the right-hand side of the box, before drilling a low cross into the middle. It ends up falling to Douglas who places an effort goalwards, but Keogh is back on the line to make a vital clearance and keep his side in the game.
SUBSTITUTION: Brentford make their first change of the afternoon, with the lively Jota heading off to be replaced by Dallas.
This is better from Derby. A flowing team move ends with Martin being played in down the left. He then whips a low ball across the box looking for his strike partner Bent, but he gets too much on the final pass and it ends up heading harmlessly out of play.
CHANCE! The chances just keep falling to Gray this afternoon. He has another opportunity to get on the scoresheet when he is picked out inside the box by Dallas, but places his header over the bar. In fairness, the delivery was slightly over his head and it was far from an easy finish.
We've got a short stoppage in play while Dean receives treatment on his knee following a collision with Martin. There didn't seem much in it, but the Brentford man looks to have hurt himself with an awkward landing.
DOUBLE SUBSTITUTION: Derby make a couple changes here, with Lingard and Whitbread coming on for Bryson and Warnock.
It's still not quite happening for Derby at the moment and they are struggling to put any real passing moves together. Meanwhile, Brentford are looking quite comfortable, but you would expect a late surge to be coming from the hosts as we edge closer to the 90 minute mark.
SUBSTITUTION: The visitors make their second change of the match, with Smith taking Gray's place up front.
CHANCE! Whitbread has only been on the pitch for a few minutes, but the substitute almost finds the back of the net. He arrives to meet a corner and flicks the ball goalwards, but it is at a good height for Button who pushes it behind.
SUBSTITUTION: Final change for Brentford, as Toral comes on for the goalscorer Pritchard.
YELLOW CARD! A late goal just does not look on the cards for Derby and from their point of view, the ball is at the wrong of the pitch. Their frustrations are starting to show and it boils over when Hendrick is shown a card for a nasty foul on Smith.
We are going to have at least four minutes of stoppage time. Will it be enough for Derby to snatch a vital point?
GOAL! Derby County 1-1 Brentford (Darren Bent)
They haven't look like scoring all afternoon, but in stoppage time Derby may have secured a precious point in their bid for promotion. You won't see many more scrappy goals than this, as Hendrick's mishit shot rolls through kindly to Bent, who shows his class inside the box to fire in past Button from point-blank range.
FULL-TIME: Derby County 1-1 Brentford
What an ending to the match! Derby have snatched a point at the death thanks to a poachers finish from Darren Bent. It looked for so long that Brentford would claim a very much deserved win, but it was not to be and the visitors will reflect on a host of missed chances.
Right, that's all we've got time for at Pride Park, but I'll back back in a few minutes to bring you more live Championship football, as Millwall take on high-flying Watford. Until then, goodbye!
Written by
Alex Meyers
Alex Meyers
